The Indian embassy at Tel Aviv, in Israel, and the Representative Office of India in Palestine have issued advisories asking Indian nationals in their respective countries to “remain vigilant” and “directly contact the Office” in case of an emergency. These were issued after the all-out Hamas rocket attack on Israel yesterday, followed by the war declaration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to an update today from the Israel Defense Forces, the national military, more than 200 people in Israel are dead and more than 1,000 are injured as of this morning. There are 18,000 Indian citizens working and living in Israel, mainly as caregivers; traders; infotech professionals; and students, and it is not clear if they are also among the dead and injured.
Speaking to the Press Trust of India on the first day of the rocket attacks, Soma Ravi, an Indian national working in Israel for 18 years, said, “Today was a very difficult day, we have never seen a situation [like this]. Within 20 minutes, 5,000 rockets were fired, and [Hamas militants] killed 22 people while 500 were injured. This is a very difficult situation for the country.”
Vikas Sharma, an Indian student at the Hebrew University in Tel Aviv, said, “There’s a tense situation in Israel because of the attack, but all the Indian students are safe. Most of the students are staying in dorms and accommodations provided by the college. We are in contact with each other as well as the Indian embassy through WhatsApp.”
Like most world leaders, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned the Hamas attack on Israel. He posted on the social network X: “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.”
Yesterday, as they entered southern Israel by land, sea and air, using paragliders, Hamas militants fired more than 2,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, according to the Israeli military. Hamas said that it had captured several Israeli soldiers near the border. Israel has carried out counter-attacks, killing nearly 200 and injuring 1,500 in Gaza, as per media reports.
“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,” said the Indian embassy in its advisory.
The advisory gave relevant phone numbers in case of emergency and also provided URLs for Israeli Home Front Command and Preparedness brochures. It was issued in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages.
In Ramallah, the Representative Office of India in Palestine posted a public notice on X (formerly Twitter) late last night: “In light of the prevailing security situation, Indian nationals in Palestine can directly contact the Representative Office of India to address any case of emergency or needed assistance on the 24-hours Emergency Helpline.” It also gave two contact numbers.