The inaugural charter flight conducted under ‘Operation Ajay’ successfully repatriated 212 Indian citizens, including an infant, who were stranded in Israel due to the ongoing conflict. Departing from Ben Gurion airport in Israel on Thursday night, the flight landed in New Delhi on Friday morning. The passengers were selected on a 'first come, first serve' basis, as confirmed by reports.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, via X (formerly known as Twitter), shared pictures of the repatriation, marking the commencement of 'Operation Ajay.' In the tweet, he stated, “Operation Ajay gets underway. 212 citizens onboard the flight are enroute New Delhi.” The operation was launched on Wednesday to evacuate stranded citizens from Israel amid the intensifying conflict with Hamas. Commercial flights between India and Israel had been suspended by Air India and other airlines since the onset of the war on October 7.
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Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekar was present at the airport to welcome the returning Indian nationals, as captured in a video shared by news agency ANI.
Under 'Operation Ajay,' special chartered flights will facilitate the return of Indians, and the Indian Navy ships stand ready for deployment if necessary. Notably, around 18,000 Indians, including students, professionals, and traders, are in Israel.
Simultaneously, the Ministry of External Affairs has established a 24-hour control room in New Delhi to monitor the situation in Israel and Palestine. Contact numbers for the control room are provided, along with an email address. The Indian embassy's 24-hour emergency helpline is also available.
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The Israel-Hamas conflict has entered its seventh day, with over 2,800 casualties reported from both sides and 423,000 people displaced. The war escalated when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, citing a long-standing dispute over the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israel, responding with continuous airstrikes, has announced preparedness for a potential ground operation in Gaza, although a final decision is pending political leadership approval.
