 "S Jaishankar")
India sent its first charter flight to Tel Aviv on Thursday to evacuate its citizens stuck in Israel amid an escalating conflict between Israeli security forces and Hamas militants.
The first batch of around 230 Indians is expected to be brought back on Friday under ‘Operation Ajay’, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
An Air India B-787 plane departed from Delhi airport at 5 pm for the mission. The airline is scheduled to operate a total of seven flights till October 18 under ‘Operation Ajay’, sources told Business Standard. Air India did not immediately respond to Business Standard’s query on the matter.
Executives of other airlines said they had been asked to inform the government about how many planes they could deploy under ‘Operation Ajay’. “We are waiting for further specific directions from the government,” one of the executives said.
The MEA said more such “ferry flights” were expected to be finalised in the coming days, while possible assistance from the Indian Air Force (IAF) was not ruled out.
However, the MEA did not term the operation as an evacuation mission. Instead, it said the operation was an effort to assist those Indian nationals who wanted to come back. This makes ‘Operation Ajay’ different from ‘Operation Ganga’, the last such airlift of Indians, from Ukraine in March 2022. Back then, the government had directed Indian students in Ukraine to evacuate to specific cities from where they were bussed to neighbouring countries before being flown back on IAF aircraft as well as commercial flights of Air India, Indigo, and GoAir.
Indians in Israel will also have to pay for their seats, unlike those evacuated from Ukraine. “One advantage of this flight is that when all the other airlines are charging premium fees, we will have to pay only a minimal amount for this flight. The embassy has already shared an online form with those who are keen to return to India,” an Indian caregiver living in Tel Aviv told Business Standard.
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The MEA data on overseas Indians shows there were 12,467 non-resident Indians in Israel as of February. However, the latest estimates indicate that at least 18,000 Indians are currently in Israel. According to Israel Malayali Federation officials, there are 6,000-6,500 people from Kerala in Israel, a majority of them are caregivers.
MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said there were 13 Indian nationals in the West Bank and four in the Gaza Strip, but India had not received any requests for assistance from them.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had taken a preparatory meeting on the issue on Thursday. He also spoke to his counterpart from the UAE and described the crisis in West Asia.
According to sources, some Indians who registered for ‘Operation Ajay’ include those who are living in Israel beyond their visa period. ‘Operation Ajay’ will continue until all Indians ready to move out of Israel are shifted out, the Indian authorities in Israel have said.
Infosys CEO says all employees in Israel safe IT services company Infosys on Thursday said all its employees in Israel are safe.
Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, Infosys CEO and MD Salil Parekh said its employees in Israel are primarily locals but declined to comment on the exact staff strength there.
The company further said it is "saddened" by the situation unfolding in the region.
Recent evacuation/repatriations by India
Recent evacuation/repatriations by India
Name of operation: Ganga
When: February-March 2022
From where:Ukraine
Why: Ukraine-Russia war
People involved: About 22,500 people, mainly students, evacuated on 90 flights of IAF as well as Indian private carriers
Name of operation: Vande Bharat Mission
When: April 2020-October 2021
From where: Starting from China, people repatriated from all around the world
Why: Covid-19 struck the world in early 2020
People involved: About 217,000 flights were conducted by private carriers. 18.3 million repatriated
Name of operation: Raahat
When: April 2015
From where: Yemen
Why: Saudi Arabia's air force attacked the Houthi rebels in Yemen
People involved: About 5,600 people -including 960 foreigners -evacuated by Indian Navy, IAF and Air India
Name of operation: Maitri
When: April 2015
From where: Nepal
Why: Earthquake
People involved: About 6,000 including 785 foreigners evacuated by IAF
Name of operation: Safe Homecoming
When: February 2011
From where: Libya
Why: Civil War
People involved: About 15,000 Indians were evacuated by Indian Navy, Air India and IAF
Name of operation: Sukoon
When: July-August 2006
From where: Lebanon
Why: Israel-Hezbollah war
People involved: About 2,280 people including 200 foreigners were evacuated
