India on Wednesday launched Operation Ajay to facilitate the return of its citizens from Israel amid a full-blown war with Hamas in Gaza. There are around 18,000 Indian citizens living in Israel.
Foreign minister S Jaishankar posted on X writing, “Special charter flights and other arrangements are being put in place. Fully committed to the safety and well-being of our nationals abroad.”
India’s embassy in Israel informed that the first lot of Indians who had registered to return has been notified and they will be put on the first special flight today to India.
The post read, “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.”
Meanwhile, Israel has formed an emergency government to carry out the war against Hamas, five days after fighters of the militant group killed civilians in their homes and on the streets in an unprecedented attack on Israel.
Over the last five days, in Israel’s retaliatory shelling of the Gaza Strip which is ruled by Hamas, thousands of people including civilians have been killed. Israel has gathered its troops around the besieged Palestinian enclave in what appears to be the groundwork for a possible invasion.
On the other hand, Hamas also has around 150 people including 14 Thailand nationals, two Mexicans, and an unknown number of Americans and Germans as hostages.
Following several days of back and forth strikes, Israel faced the risk of a multi-front war with the Iran-backed Shiite militant organization Hezbollah on the northern border with Lebanon.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for missiles fired at Israel on Wednesday. In response, Israeli military said that it struck one of the group’s military observation posts in southern Lebanon.
Moreover, Israel also had an exchange of firing with militants in Syria on Tuesday after the army said that munitions were fired towards the Golan Heights.
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