More than 1,000 Indians flown back from Israel: MoS Muraleedharan

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Tuesday said between 1,000 and 1,200 Indians have been brought back to India by special flights so far.

There are approximately 20,000 Indians in Israel, and all of them have been asked to register themselves with the Indian embassy so that it will be easy to know their locations in case they have to be evacuated, he said. Israel has got embroiled in a major conflict after militant group Hamas attacked it on October 7.

"As per one estimation, there are approximately 20,000 Indians in Israel, and in the wake of the ongoing conflict, the Indian embassy there issued an advisory for them to remain cautious. We also told them to register themselves with the embassy. For those who want to come back, we have arranged special flights to repatriate them to India. Till Monday, five flights have carried 1,000 to 1,200 Indians. We are evacuating those whose living there is risky," the minister said.

All those registering with the embassy do not necessarily want to return to India, he said. "But for us, the registration process is beneficial as we would be able to identify the exact locations of these Indians in Israel. Using GPRS technology, we have mapped the locations where exactly they are in Israel. We know how many Indians are in Tel Aviv, Gaza, and Ashkelon. We know the locations of Indian citizens," the minister added. Asked how many Indians are stranded in Gaza, Muraleedharan did not give a specific number but said "very few".

"If we have to evacuate them, we can do it as we know their locations," he added.