India on Tuesday said Indian nationals wanting to leave Israel can opt to travel via land routes to Egypt or Jordan in view of of the closure of airspace due to the continuing hostilities with Iran.
The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv said in a fresh advisory that Indian nationals “intending to exit Israel may like to avail of the land border crossing options”. Indians who take up this option will have to verify the operational timings of the land border crossings and obtain visas for Egypt and Jordan, the embassy said.
The embassy reiterated its earlier advice for Indians in Israel to stay vigilant and strictly adhere to safety advisories and protocols issued by Israeli authorities. It also urged Indians who continue to remain in Israel to register with the embassy.
The advisory came against the backdrop of continuing missile strikes between Israel and Iran, with hostilities entering the fifth day and triggering fears of a full-blown war.
Israel is home to more than 32,000 Indians, with the numbers swelling in recent months as Israeli authorities stepped up the recruitment of caregivers and construction workers to replace Palestinians.
{{/usCountry}}Israel is home to more than 32,000 Indians, with the numbers swelling in recent months as Israeli authorities stepped up the recruitment of caregivers and construction workers to replace Palestinians.
{{/usCountry}}Israeli ambassador Reuven Azar told reporters that Israeli authorities were coordinating with the external affairs ministry on requests for the evacuation of Indian nationals. Israel’s transport ministry is organising maritime and terrestrial evacuation conduits for diplomats and foreign nationals who want to leave, he said.
Azar appreciated India’s decision to disassociate itself from a statement issued by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that condemned Israel’s military strikes against Iran. The Indian side said it was not part of the discussions that produced the SCO statement.
Israel’s prime minister, foreign minister and national security adviser have briefed their Indian counterparts on the developments and security cooperation between Israel and India is continuing, Azar said.
Israel’s strikes are directed only against targets linked to the Iranian regime’s capabilities, he said. “We are not targeting civilians,” he said, adding that Israel was alerting civilians in Iran to evacuate areas that are in danger.
Azar said Israel’s campaign against Iran could take time because “we have to continue degrading their capabilities”. Israeli strikes have hit about 120 out of 360 missile launchers possessed by Iran, he said.
Despite this, Iran fired about 400 ballistic missiles and 800 drones, indicating it still has stockpiles of these weapons. “We are determined to try to completely degrade it,” he said.
“The question is at what point the Iranians are going to agree to come to the table and accept the terms being demanded by the International community,” he said. It is not enough for Iran to commit not to have any nuclear activity, and Israel wants Iran to “completely abandon” its nuclear and missile programmes, he added.