Operation Ajay: First Flight Carrying 212 Indians From Israel Lands In Delhi
The first flight under Operation Ajay, carrying a total of 212 Indian nationals who were stuck in the midst of the ongoing war in Israel, has landed in New Delhi.
The Air India flight with 212 people left Tel Aviv on Thursday for Delhi.
How Indians from war-zone are evacuated
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomed the passengers at the Delhi airport as they streamed into the lounge area from the tarmac side. He greeted them with folded hands and also shook hands with many of them, saying, "Welcome home".
"Our government will never leave any Indian behind. Our government, our Prime Minister, is determined to protect them and bring them back home safely. We are grateful to EAM Dr S Jaishankar, the team at the External Affairs Ministry, the flight crew of this Air India flight for making this possible, for bringing our children back home safely and soundly and back home to their loved ones," Chandrasekhar said.
Who are being evacuated
Many of the evacuees on the first flight were students.
"We were in shelters... the Israeli government has made shelters everywhere, so we were safe," Suparno Ghosh, a West Bengal native and a first-year PhD student of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev at Beersheba in Israel, said.
"We heard sirens on Saturday. As the attack happened, we could hear the sound. Israeli authorities were instructing us (to take safety measures). It was a continuous attack. I am happy to return home, but sad also, as our friends are there (in Israel)," Deepak, another student, said.
But, the evacuation process was very smooth, he added.
What is Operation Ajay
On Wednesday, India announced Operation Ajay's launch?to repatriate Indian nationals from Israel.
According to MEA, there are around 18,000 Indians, including health care professionals, caregivers, students and business professionals, in Israel, while about a dozen people are also in the West Bank, and three to four are in Gaza.
Earlier, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the government's prime focus is to bring back Indians stuck there.
"Our focus is to bring back Indians who want to come out of Israel. There are 18,000 Indians there, including students," he said.
How Operation Ajay is coordinated?
The MEA had set up a 24-hour control room in view of the escalating conflict. The control room will help monitor the situation and provide information and assistance.
On Thursday, Indian Ambassador to Israel, Sanjeev Singla, said that the Indian Embassy in Israel is working to ensure the well-being of Indian nationals in war-torn Israel and informed that under "Operation Ajay", the embassy will help Indians who want to return to India.
"As I said yesterday, the Embassy of India in Tel Aviv has been working continuously to ensure the safety and welfare of all our Indian citizens in Israel. Yesterday, the external affairs minister announced Operation Ajay to help those Indians who wish to return to India," he said.
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