Operation Ajay: First Flight Carrying 212 Indians From Israel Lands In Delhi, Evacuees Express Gratitude

The first batch of Indian passengers, including those stranded in Israel, boarded a special flight from Tel Aviv to New Delhi as part of Operation Ajay on Thursday. Indian students thanked the Indian Government for bringing them home amid escalating Israel-Hamas war.

Operation Ajay: First Flight Carrying 212 Indians From Israel Lands In Delhi, Evacuees Express Gratitude

Tel Aviv: The ongoing ‘war’ between Israel and Hamas, which is intensifying every day with numerous rockets raining down on Israeli cities by militants, shines a beacon of hope for stranded Indians in the form of the Indian Government’s ‘Operation Ajay.’ This operation promises them a safe return to their homeland. The first special charter flight, carrying 212 Indian nationals from war-torn Israel landed at the Delhi airport on Friday morning, news agency ANI reported. They were received by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar at the airport. Indians who were stranded in the war-torn country expressed their gratitude to the Indian Government for this initiative.

A woman, who returned from Israel, narrated the terrifying story, “On the first day, we were sleeping and at around 6.30 there was siren…so we ran towards the shelter and it was very hard but we managed. We are feeling relaxed and we thank the Government of India…”

Another stated that the situation in Israel is very critical. “The situation was very bad over there… EAM Minister Dr S Jaishankar and his team, especially the Embassy in Tel Aviv did a tremendous job. And we’re really very grateful to the Government in India.”

Another Indian National stated that he it was his first time he experienced a situation like this. “This is the first time that we are facing this situation over there. We are very thankful to the Indian government, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing us back. We are hoping for peace as soon as possible so that we can go back to work as earliest as possible…”

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that, “…Our government will never leave any Indian behind. Our government, our Prime Minister is determined to protect them, bring them back home safely. We are grateful to EAM Dr S Jaishankar, the team at the External Affairs…

The Indian embassy in Israel extends its support to Indian companies and has established a helpline for Indian citizens seeking assistance. Just yesterday, 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.

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.

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.

The Indian embassy has already announced a second flight scheduled for Friday and has initiated email registrations for departure on a “first-come, first-serve basis.”

Ben Gurion International Airport, located on the northern outskirts of the city of Lod, serves as Israel’s primary international airport.