Operation Ajay: First batch of Indians expected to return home on Friday

The first batch of around 230 Indians are expected to return to India from Israel on a charter flight on Friday morning, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

India launched Operation Ajay to facilitate the return of those Indians who wish to come back home as a series of brazen attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas militants over the weekend triggered fresh tensions in the region.

"The first charter flight will reach Tel Aviv later tonight to pick up Indian citizens and is likely to return to India tomorrow morning," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at his weekly media briefing.

He said around 18,000 Indians are currently residing in Israel while about a dozen odd people are in the West Bank and three-to four are in Gaza.

"The external affairs minister took a preparatory meeting earlier in the day. We are in touch with our embassy in Tel Aviv, our representative office in Ramallah as well as with our missions in the neighbouring countries, particularly Jordan, Syria and Egypt," Bagchi said.

"We are keeping a close watch on developments as well as what steps we need to take to assist the Indian citizens who are in Israel," he added.

Bagchi said the first charter flight is likely to bring back around 230 citizens.

Asked about reports of one Indian care-giver from Kerala sustaining injuries in the attacks by Hamas, he said: "We are aware of that case. The person is in the hospital and improving."

Bagchi said more chartered flights will be arranged to bring back the Indians. At the same time, he said it will depend on the number of people expressing a desire to return home.

He said there was no report of any Indian casualty so far.

Military officials said the Indian Air Force has kept its transport aircraft on stand-by for any possible deployment to bring back the Indians from Israel.

The multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza since Saturday and the subsequent Israeli retaliation have left around 2,600 people dead. Israel has launched a massive counter offensive in Gaza to avenge the attacks by Hamas.

The sudden escalation in hostilities between Israel and Palestine has triggered global concerns. Leading powers like Germany, the US, France and the UK emphasised the importance of preventing the situation from further escalation.