Accounts from Indians in Israel have started coming in even as the embassy issued an advisory for all citizens to “remain vigilant”. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said 27 Christians from his state were stuck in the holy city of Jerusalem. Students studying in the foreign nation said the situation is tense but they are safe.
In an unprecedented move, the Hamas militant group ruling Palestine launched a military incursion into Israel, which later retaliated with air strikes. The death toll has risen to 100 in Israel with hundreds wounded.
Indian citizens have said they are in a dilemma as they can neither go out or stay inside their homes. “More than 5,000 rockets have been fired (on Israel) till now. We are in deep trouble right now. Neither can we go outside, nor we can stay inside (of house),” said Prasad, an Indian citizen stuck in Israel.
Today was a very difficult day, we have never seen a situation (like this). Within 20 minutes, 5,000 rockets were fired. This is a very difficult situation for the country,” said another Indian citizen Soma Ravi.
Vikas Sharma, an Indian student, said: “The situation is tense 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 college. We are in contact with each other as well as the Indian embassy.”
“I am very nervous and scared…Thankfully, we have shelter and Israeli police forces nearby. So far we are safe… We are in touch with Indian embassy people, we have a good Indian community around and we are connected…” said another student Goku Manavalan.
Sangma, meanwhile, sought the help of the ministry of external affairs to rescue 27 people from his state stranded in the war-like situation between Israel and Palestine. He said he is in touch with the ministry to bring them back.
Taking to ‘X’, he said, “27 citizens of Meghalaya who traveled to Jerusalem for the Holy Pilgrimage are stuck in Bethlehem due to the present tension between Israel and Palestine.” “I am in touch with the MEA to ensure their safe passage back home,” the chief minister added.
Jesuralem is one of the international destinations for Christians in Meghalaya for its religious importance.
The Indian Embassy has asked all Indian nationals to “observe safety protocols”. “In view of the current situation in Israel, all Indian nationals in Israel are requested to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities. Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement, and stay close to safety shelters,” the embassy said in its advisory.
The advisory gave relevant phone numbers in case of emergency and also provided URLs for Israeli Home Front Command and Preparedness brochures. It was issued in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada languages.
According to the details on the website of the Indian Embassy here, there are about 18,000 Indian citizens in Israel, primarily caregivers employed by Israeli elders, diamond traders, IT professionals and students. There are approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel too that were part of the main waves of immigration into Israel from India in the 50s and 60s.
(With PTI inputs)
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