What is Operation Ajay? How Indians stranded in Israel will be brought back
The first batch of registered Indians in Israel were sent emails informing about India's Operation Ajay which will repatriate Indians willing to be back home.
India on Wednesday launched Operation Ajay to bring back Indians from Israel as the conflict escalated with Israel retaliating against Hamas's attack that started on Saturday. Israel has declared war against Hamas and set up a war cabinet while Hamas said it is ready for a long-drawn conflict. India being a strategic partner of Israel condemned the Hamas attack and PM Modi expressed solidarity with Israel. As soon as the conflict broke out, the external affairs minister alerted Indians in Israel to exercise caution. The ministry came up with a helpline number and on the 5th day of the conflict, India launched Operation Ajay.
What is Operation Ajay? All you need to know
1. Operation Ajay is not technically an evacuation operation. It is an operation to repatriate its citizens from Israel.
2. Special chartered flights will bring back the Indians. Indian Navy ships will be deployed if the need arises.
3. Indians in Israel who wish to return will be facilitated in this operation. There are around 18,000 Indians in Israel including students, professionals and traders. “Launching #OperationAjay to facilitate the return from Israel of our citizens who wish to return. Special charter flights and other arrangements (are) being put in place. Fully committed to the safety and well-being of our nationals abroad," external affairs minister S Jaishankar tweeted on Wednesday. Jaishankar has also spoken to UAE's foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on Wednesday.
4. The first flight is on Thursday as the embassy in Tel Aviv emailed the first batch of registered Indians in Israel. “Messages to other registered people will follow for subsequent flights,” the mission said.
5. A 24-hour control room in New Delhi is monitoring the situation in Israel and Palestine. The phone numbers for the control room are 1800118797 (toll free), +91-11 23012113, +91-11-23014104, +91-11-23017905 and +919968291988, and the email ID is situationroom@mea.gov.in. The Indian embassy’s 24-hour emergency helpline can be accessed on the numbers +972-35226748 and +972-543278392, and the email ID cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in
6. The first batch of Indians is expected to be brought back from Israel in a special flight on Thursday.
Israel's Consul General in Mumbai Kobbi Shoshani said he had no information of any Indian national injured or killed in the ongoing fight. Actor Nushrratt Bharuccha was in Israel to attend the Haifa International Film Festival when the conflict began. The actor was safely brought back to India.
Around 27 people from Meghalaya including Rajya Sabha member Wanweiroy Kharlukhi, were stranded in Bethlehem when the conflict broke out. The MEA arranged for their safe passage into Egypt.
