English
New Delhi: A special flight brought the second batch of Indian nationals safely home on Saturday from war-torn Israel as part of ‘Operation Ajay. A total of 235 Indian nationals, including two infants, arrived at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport early in the morning. Notably, the first special flight under ‘Operation Ajay,’ carrying 212 Indian nationals from Tel Aviv, landed in Delhi on Friday amid the escalating conflict between Israeli security forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Passengers were selected based on a “first-come, first-served” approach following a campaign initiated by the Indian embassy, urging all Indians to register in the mission’s database. The government is covering the expenses for their return.
People thanked the Indian Government for arranging their safe return to their homeland.
“This is very nice and wonderful. We are very happy. Many Many thanks to the Minister of External Affairs Dr Jaishankar, the government of India..,” an Indian national returned from Israel said.
“We thank the Indian govt for arranging this (evacuation op)…my family was worried,” a woman said.
“This is a good initiative. I thank the government, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the External Affairs Minister and our embassy in Israel…. Many students were panicking and feared if they would come back or not..,” another passenger said.
The Indian nationals were received by MoS MEA Rajkumar Ranjan at the Delhi airport.
“We are facilitating about 235 passengers from Israel…We will continue (the operation Ajay). There are about 18,000 Indian citizens there. This is the second phase, so we are helping them..,” Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said.
Various state governments sent their representatives to Delhi airport to attend the Indian nationals.
India launched ‘Operation Ajay’ on Thursday to facilitate the return of those who wish to return home following the brazen attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas militants from Gaza on October 7, triggering fresh tension in the volatile region.
The Indian embassy in Israel extends its support to Indian companies and has established a helpline for Indian citizens seeking assistance. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) launched a 24-hour control center in response to the intensifying conflict. This control center serves to monitor the situation and provide vital information and aid.
To assist those who were stranded due to the immediate suspension of Air India’s flights on the day the conflict began, a special flight took off at 10:14 pm (local time). Air India’s commercial operations have remained suspended since that day.
In response to a series of multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas from Gaza since Saturday, and the subsequent Israeli retaliation that tragically claimed more than 2,500 lives, Israel has initiated a large-scale counter-offensive in Gaza to address the threats posed by Hamas.
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