Several Indians including Rajya Sabha MP stranded in Israel
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New Delhi: Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel has left many Indians including a senior Rajya Sabha member stranded in the nation.
Dr Wanweiroy Kharlukhi of National Peoples Party (NPP) in Meghalaya, his wife, and daughter, and 24 other natives of the state are stuck in Bethlehem.
They were on a pilgrimage to Israel when the war suddenly broke out bringing in chaos.
Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP chief Conrad Sangma contacted Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure the pilgrims' safety, NDTV reported.
It is now reported that the Indian Mission to Egypt is likely to evacuate them on Sunday.
As the conflict claimed more than 500 lives so far, Indian embassies in Israel and Palestine have warned Indians to stay in alert.
More than 18,000 Indian nationals are in Israel working as caregivers, and IT professionals alongside students.
There are about 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel following the immigration from India to Israel began in the 1950s and 1960s.
There has been a wave of immigration of Jewish people from Mizoram and Manipur in recent years.
Meanwhile an advisory issued by the Indian Embassy said ‘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.’
Soma Ravi, an Indian national working in Israel for 18 years, reportedly said ‘Today was a very difficult day, we have never seen a situation (like this). Within 20 minutes, 5,000 rockets were fired, and they (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 Indian students are safe in their dorms despite there is tense situation in Israel.
Sharma said students are in contact with each other as well as the Indian embassy through WhatsApp.
Hamas on Saturday morning started the multi-pronged attack from ground, air and sea shocking Israel.