MoS Meenakshi Lekhi: Govt Actively Working to Evacuate Stranded Indians in Israel
NEW DELHI: Union minister of state (MoS) for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi on Sunday said the Prime Minister's Office is monitoring the ongoing situation in Israel and that the government is making efforts to bring back stranded Indians. Several Indians are believed to be trapped in Israeli cities. Some posted videos appealing for evacuation, saying, "The situation is hard and uncertain.”
“I received many messages last night and through the night we were working, but I'm also aware that the Prime Minister's office is directly supervising the situation... We are on the job... Whether it was Operation Ganga or Vande Bharat, we brought everyone back. I'm sure the government and the Prime Minister's Office are directly in touch with those people and are working and monitoring the situation,” said Ms Lekhi.
There are about 18,000 Indian nationals living and working in Israel. So far, no Indian is known to have been taken hostage by Hamas or killed during the crossfire between Israel and Hamas. However, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv has received requests to facilitate a safe exit.
A mad rush was seen at airports as people rushed to leave Israel. With flights to Israel cancelled, people are rushing to neighbouring countries to exit the war zone.
Air India has announced it is cancelling all its flights to and from Tel Aviv till October 14. Air India has evacuated its crew members and two other employees from Israel via Egypt.
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said, "As per the latest information and through the efforts of the ministry of external affairs and the Indian mission, our 27 citizens from Meghalaya, who were stuck in the war conflict zone of Israel and Palestine, have safely crossed the border into Egypt."
Indian actress Nusrat Bharucha, who was in Israel for a film promotion, was trapped, but she managed to reach Mumbai on Sunday.
MoS ministry of external affairs V. Muraleedharan said instructions have already been given to Indians in Israel through advisories to stay safe and get in touch with the Indian embassy if they need any assistance.
Talking to reporters, Israel's ambassador to India Naor Gilon said some of the Indians wanted to volunteer to fight for Israel against Hamas. "Israel never asks anyone to come and fight for us... We had quite a few Indians who wanted to volunteer; I told them, Thank you very much...we fight our own fight," Mr Gilon said.
On Saturday, the Indian mission in Tel Aviv and the representative office of India in Palestine issued advisories asking Indian nationals on their respective sides to “remain vigilant” and “directly contact the office” in case of an emergency.
A big chunk of Indians living in Israel work as caregivers but there are also about a thousand students, several IT professionals and diamond traders. All Indian students are in touch with each other and are constantly taking stock of the situation. Some other students, when contacted, also said that they see the situation coming under control and that "we should not spread panic unnecessarily".
Most of the Indian students are staying in dorms and in accommodations provided by the institutions. The Indian caregivers in Israel are inclined towards staying put and focusing on following the instructions shared by the Indian mission.
Elle Prasad, who lives in Ashkelon, where the maximum number of rockets have fallen, said that "they have to be very alert so that they reach the shelter house as soon as possible after the siren wails".
An Indian national living in Gaza, when contacted, said that the situation was “scary” but she and her family were safe.
