Operation Ajay: 212 Indians return home from Israel, recall scary moments

The first batch of 212 Indians returned on Friday (October 13) from Israel amid uncertainty after Palestinian group Hamas attacked the Jewish state on October 7 triggering a major war.

"We stay in central Israel and I don't know what shape this conflict will take," said Shashwat Singh soon after landing at the Delhi airport with his wife.

A post-doctoral researcher in agriculture, Singh had made Israel home since 2019. But the raid by Hamas fighters and the savage killings blamed on them leading to the ongoing war haunt him.

"We hope peace will be restored and we will return to work,” he added.

The Indians who returned home said they were approached by the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv.

India launched Operation Ajay to facilitate the return of those who wish to come back to India.

Scary situation

Some students who flew back recalled the night of Saturday and how they had to rush to shelters multiple times in the wake of rocket attacks by Hamas.

Suparno Ghosh, a first-year PhD student of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev at Beersheba in Israel, said what helped them were the shelters Israeli authorities have constructed at many places.

Jaipur’s Mini Sharma told PTI: “We are not citizens there, we are just students. So, whenever the sirens go on, it was a panic situation for us."

Deepak, another student, said Israeli authorities told them to take safety steps after the Hamas attack.

“I am happy to return home but at the same time sad that our friends are there (in Israel)."

Duti Banerjee, another student from West Bengal, said the situation in Israel was "pretty messy and unsettled".

"Normal life has been paused. People are scared and angry. Even when I was leaving, I heard sirens and had to go to a shelter," she said.

Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi of the external affairs ministry said around 18,000 Indians are residing in Israel while about a dozen people are in the West Bank and three to four are in Gaza.

(With agency inputs)