Govt in touch with authorities for safety of Indians in Israel, Gaza: Lekhi

The Centre was continuously in touch with the Israel government to ensure safety of Indians there amid the war in Gaza, Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi said on Thursday.

A war broke out between Israel and the Hamas after the latter's devastating raids on October 7. The war has killed several thousand people on both sides so far.

"We have evacuated people from Israel under Operation Ajay. Our Embassy is continuously connected to them (authorities there). They have our numbers. Our people are working at the ground level. Arrangements have been made for their (indians) security in bunkers," she told reporters.

"We are in continuous touch with the (Israel) government and also in Gaza to ensure safety of Indians. Being in government, it is our duty. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making all efforts for this," the Union minister of state for external affairs said.

The Union government has earlier evacuated Indians from strife in Afghanistan and Yemen and amid the Russia-Ukraine war, she pointed out.

Hailing the PM, she said he had launched policies for social, economic and political empowerment of women, and it was the result of such efforts that no party has the strength to overlook women.

"Earlier too this (women reservation) bill was talked about but underhand dealings used to take place. It would be tabled and then would get scuttled. But for the Modi government women's empowerment is not about vote bank but a mission for nation building," Lekhi asserted.