Indian nationals in Israel and Gaza safe

Israel witnessed a surprise and unprecedented multifront attack – by air, land and sea – by the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, in its southern parts on Saturday morning.

Jerusalem: There have been no untoward incidents involving Indians living and working in Israel so far amid escalating tensions in the region, even as the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv received requests from its citizens, including tourists, stranded in the country to facilitate their safe exit.

Israel witnessed a surprise and unprecedented multifront attack – by air, land and sea – by the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip, in its southern parts on Saturday morning.

---

At least 350 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed and more than 1,900 injured in Israel – the deadliest day for the country in at least 50 years. In the Gaza Strip, there are nearly 300 deaths and about 1,500 wounded in Israel’s counterattack, media reports said on Sunday.

There are about 18,000 Indian nationals living and working in Israel and so far there have been no untoward incidents reported involving them, informed sources told PTI.

The Indian embassy has received requests from Indian tourists stranded in the country to facilitate their exit. Most of the tourists are travelling in groups.
There are also some businessmen visiting Israel who have gotten caught up in the escalation and are looking to be evacuated.

The Indian mission in Tel Aviv and the Representative Office of India in Palestine on Saturday issued advisories asking Indian nationals on respective sides to “remain vigilant” and “directly contact the Office” in case of an emergency.

Embassy sources told PTI that they are readily available to all Indian nationals around the clock and have been proactively guiding them.

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.

Bindu, a doctoral student at Hebrew University, told PTI that she “followed the instructions in letter and spirit throughout the day” on Saturday and felt safe.
She said that 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 “we should not spread panic unnecessarily”.

Vikas Sharma, a postdoctoral fellow at the Givat Ram campus of Hebrew University said that “there is a tense situation in Israel because of the attack, but all the Indian students are safe. Most of the students are staying in dorms and accommodations provided by the institutions. We are in contact with each other as well as the Indian embassy through WhatsApp”.

Caregivers in Israel also are inclined towards staying put and focusing on following the instructions of the Home Front through the link shared by the Indian mission.