What is ‘Operation Ajay’ And How India Plans To Bring Back Stranded Citizens From Israel Amid War | Explained

Operation Vijay: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said special charter flights and other arrangements being put in place. He added that India is fully committed to the safety and well-being of nationals abroad.

New Delhi: Amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, India has launched ‘Operation Ajay’ to bring back stranded citizens from war-torn areas. “Launching #OperationAjay to facilitate the return from Israel of our citizens who wish to return. Special charter flights and other arrangements being put in place. Fully committed to the safety and well-being of our nationals abroad,” tweeted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

In the meantime, the Embassy of India in Israel said it has emailed the first lot of registered Indian citizens for the special flight on Thursday.

“The Embassy has emailed the first lot of registered Indian citizens for the special flight tomorrow. Messages to other registered people will follow for subsequent flights,” tweeted the Indian Embassy on social media platform X.

How India Plans To Bring Back Stranded Citizens

Talking about the plans to bring back the stranded Indians, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said special charter flights and other arrangements being put in place. He added that India is fully committed to the safety and well-being of nationals abroad.

The first batch of Indians is expected to be brought back from Israel in a special flight on Thursday. According to estimates, around 18,000 Indians are currently residing in Israel.

The multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza since Saturday and the subsequent Israeli retaliation have left around 2,150 people dead.

The Israeli authorities said more than 1,200 people, including 155 soldiers, have been killed in Israel, while the Palestinian side put the death toll in Gaza at 950.

MEA Sets Up Control Room, Launches Helpline Numbers

Apart from this, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it has set up a round-the-clock control room in Delhi and separate emergency helplines in Tel Aviv and Ramallah to monitor the situation in Israel and Palestine and provide information and assistance to the Indian citizens.

The phone numbers of the control room in Delhi are 1800118797 (toll-free), +91-11 23012113, +91-11-23014104, +91-11-23017905 and +919968291988, and the e-mail ID is situationroom@mea.gov.in.

“In view of the ongoing developments in Israel and Palestine, a 24-hour control room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs to monitor the situation and provide information and assistance,” the MEA said.

Indian Embassy In Israel Issues Travel Advisory

Following the escalation in the situation, the Indian embassy in Israel issued an advisory, asking Indian citizens to exercise caution.

“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,” it said.