The flight carrying the first batch of Indians, who were stranded in Israel amid the ongoing conflict, landed in New Delhi under ‘Operation Ajay’ on Friday morning.
A total of 212 Indian nationals from Israel have now reached Delhi, where Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar was present at the airport to extend a warm welcome.
Chandrasekhar greeted the returning Indians with folded hands and had a conversation with the students. He assured the passengers that India’s commitment to the safety of every Indian remains steadfast and Prime Minister Modi is resolute in their protection.
He stated, “Our government will never abandon any Indian. Our government, along with our Prime Minister, is dedicated to ensuring their safety and a safe return to their loved ones. We extend our gratitude to EAM S Jaishankar, the team at the External Affairs Ministry, and the Air India flight crew for making this possible.”
One of the Indian nationals who returned from Israel expressed his gratitude, saying, “This is the first time we’ve faced such a situation there. We are deeply thankful to the Indian government, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for bringing us back. We are hopeful for a swift return to normalcy so we can resume our work as soon as possible.”
The first group of Indian passengers boarded the flight from Tel Aviv to India as part of Operation Ajay on Thursday.
Indian Ambassador to Israel, Sanjeev Singla, mentioned that the Indian Embassy in Israel is tirelessly working to ensure the well-being of Indian nationals in the conflict-ridden region. Under “Operation Ajay,” the embassy will facilitate the return of Indians wishing to go back to India.
“As I mentioned earlier, the Embassy of India in Tel Aviv has been working diligently to ensure the safety and welfare of all our Indian citizens in Israel. Yesterday, the External Affairs Minister announced Operation Ajay to assist those Indians who want to return to India. Today, under Operation Ajay, the first flight is departing for India,” he explained.
Singla further added, “This flight will carry nearly 200 Indian citizens, including students, caregivers, and business professionals. We are making efforts to ensure similar flights in the coming days, with one scheduled for tomorrow. I would like to reach out to my fellow Indian citizens here and urge them to remain calm and follow local safety advisories. We want to assure them that we stand with them.”
‘Operation Ajay’ was launched by PM Modi in reaction to a series of coordinated attacks on Israel by Hamas from Gaza since last Saturday. In response to these attacks and the ensuing Israeli counteractions, which tragically resulted in over 2,500 casualties, Israel has launched a substantial counteroffensive in Gaza.
This operation aims to repatriate around 18,000 Indian citizens from Israel. The registration process for this had commenced on Thursday.
The Indian embassy in Israel is offering support to Indian companies and has established a helpline for Indian citizens in need of assistance.
In response to the escalating conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) established a 24-hour control room to monitor the situation and provide information and assistance.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired a meeting to review the preparations for ‘Operation Ajay’.
(Inputs from ANI)