Israel-Palestine Tensions: 'Avoid Unnecessary Movement, Stay Close To Shelters', India Tells Citizens
The MEA in an advisory urged Indians to "avoid unnecessary movement and stay close to safety shelters" "All Indian nationals in Israel are requested to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities," it said.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday cautioned Indian nationals living in Israel to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols after the outbreak of a "war" there, following the Hamas rocket attacks.
The MEA in an advisory urged Indians to "avoid unnecessary movement and stay close to safety shelters".
AFP
What MEA said
"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. Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement and stay close to safety shelters. For additional information, please see the Israeli Home Front Command website or their preparedness brochure," the MEA said.
"In case of emergency, please contact us at +97235226748, or leave a message at cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in. The Embassy personnel remain at your disposal for any further guidance," it added.
?*IMPORTANT ADVISORY FOR INDIAN NATIONALS IN ISRAEL*
¡ª India in Israel (@indemtel) October 7, 2023
For details visit-
Israel Home Front Command website: https://t.co/Sk8uu2Mrd4
Preparedness brochure: https://t.co/18bDjO9gL5 pic.twitter.com/LtAMGT9CwA
Indians in Israel
There are over 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel. Thousands of non-Jewish Indians also work in Israel, especially in the healthcare and elderly care sectors.
In May 2021, Soumya Santhosh, an Indian caregiver was killed in a rocket attack in the Israeli city of Ashkelon.
The 31-year-old native of Idukki in Kerala who was working as a caretaker to an elderly woman at a house in the Ashkelon, which borders the Gaza strip was killed in a rocket attack by a Palestinian militant group.
We are at war: Netanyahu
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Saturday, said that the nation is "at war" and will extract an unprecedented price from its enemy.
AFP
¡°We are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war. This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours,¡± Netanyahu said in his first address to the nation following the surprise attack by Hamas.
The Palestinian militant group launched an unprecedented attack on Saturday with a barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.
At least four people have been killed in the rocket attacks.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that over 2200 rockets were fired into Israel.
REUTERS
Hamas gunmen also managed to infiltrate inside Israeli territory.
Operation Iron Swords
After the initial shock, Israel launched a counteroffensive, called Operation 'Iron Swords'.
IDF said it was fighting Gaza militants who entered Israel by land, sea and air using paragliders on Saturday.
AFP
The attack came on the day of Simchat Torah, a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, which is held on the last day of Sukkot.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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