On landing in New Delhi after a six-hour flight, Indian students returning from Israel expressed their inability to describe the horror they experienced over the past few days and their relief at being back home.
The chartered plane, carrying 212 Indian citizens, is the first to reach New Delhi after the launch of Operation Ajay by the Centre to bring back stranded Indians in Israel during the war with Hamas. The government will be organizing more flights to bring back other stranded individuals in Israel.
Over 18,000 Indians are currently in Israel, with more than 6,000 having registered with the Indian embassy there for a flight back home.
Dyuti Banerjee, a PhD student from Kolkata studying in Israel, expressed her relief at being back home. She described the situation in Israel’s border areas as terrifying, with children being slaughtered. Many of her Israeli colleagues urged her to leave and return home. She also expressed concern for her friends who joined the war effort as part of Israel’s reserve army.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar was present at the airport to welcome the Indians returning from the war zone, where more than 4,000 people have lost their lives in the Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent response.
Another student named Priyanka praised the resilience and caring nature of the Israeli people. She mentioned that her friends in Israel, who were there for a longer period, provided guidance and assured them not to panic.
Prathibha, another student who returned on the flight, described the indescribable experience of being in a war zone and highlighted that the sound of sirens was still ringing in her ears.
Union Minister Chandrasekhar emphasized that the Indian government is committed to protecting and bringing back every Indian. He expressed gratitude to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, the ministry team, and the flight crew of Air India for making the repatriation possible.
Following the Hamas attack and the ensuing war, Air India had suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 14.
The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, stated that India is closely monitoring the situation in Israel and there have been no reports of Indian casualties so far. He advised Indians to follow the advisories issued by the Indian mission in Israel.
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