India says it is making ‘huge efforts’ to evacuate up to 18,000 nationals from Israel

India is preparing plans to evacuate up to 18,000 citizens stranded in Israel as prime minister Narendra Modi issued a statement supporting Tel Aviv and condemning “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”.

On Saturday Israel declared it was at war and vowed “immense” revenge after Hamas launched unprecedented strikes across the heavily fortified Gaza border with thousands of rockets alongside a shock incursion by land, sea and air.

“I thank Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] for his phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation,” wrote Indian prime minister Mr Modi on X/Twitter.

“People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

Amid widespread media interviews of Indians stranded in Israel sharing concerns about their safety, India’s junior external affairs minister Meenakshi Lekhi issued a statement saying “huge efforts” are under way to evacuate them from the country. A big chunk of Indians living in Israel are students, while some work as caregivers, IT professionals or diamond traders, according to the Indian Embassy in Israel.

“I received many messages last night and through the night we were working, but I’m also aware that the prime minister’s office is directly supervising the situation,” she said.

“We are on the job... Whether it was Operation Ganga or Vande Bharat [mission], we brought everyone back,” she said.

The minister referred to India’s Operation Ganga rescue mission to rescue citizens from Ukraine at the beginning of the Russian invasion and the Vande Bharat mission that brought back citizens back to India from other countries during the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I’m sure the government and the Prime Minister’s Office are directly in touch with those people and are working and monitoring the situation,” said Ms Lekhi.

On Saturday, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv issued an advisory directing Indian nationals to “remain vigilant” and “directly contact the office” in case of an emergency.

“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,” the embassy said. “Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement, and stay close to safety shelters.”

Several students shared their fears amid the unprecedented violence between Israel and Palestine in the Gaza Strip.

“Today was a very difficult day, we have never seen a situation (like this),” Soma Ravi, an Indian national working in Israel for past 18 years, told news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).

“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.”

Some other students said the situation was under control and urged the media to “not spread panic unnecessarily”.

“There is a tense situation in Israel because of the attack, but all the Indian students are safe. Most of the students are staying in dorms and accommodations provided by the institutions,” Vikas Sharma, a postdoctoral fellow of the Hebrew University, was quoted as saying by PTI.

“We are in contact with each other as well as the Indian embassy through WhatsApp.”

Jiby Yohannan from Kerala, who lives 8km away from Tel Aviv, said that while local residents were used to sporadic missile strikes, Saturday’s attack had caught everyone off-guard.

“When tension escalates, we watch missile attacks, and see how they are being intercepted and destroyed by the Iron Dome (Israel’s air defence system). But this time, the attack was from those who infiltrated the country by road. The assailants mainly targeted people on the road,” he told The Indian Express.

The Indian government has said it also aims to bring back around 200 tourists stuck in Bethlehem through Egypt, reported The Wire. The Indian embassy will be able to facilitate their return to the country via road through the Egyptian border, it said.

Two days after Hamas terrorists went on a rampage that took the world by surprise, Israel increased airstrikes on Gaza and blocked off food, fuel and other supplies from going into the territory. The move has raised concerns at the UN and among aid groups operating in the area that is home to 2.3 million people.

Hamas, in turn, pledged to kill Israelis it abducted if the country’s military bombs civilian targets in Gaza without warning.

The violence, which has claimed more than 1,500 lives, prompted international declarations of support for Israel after the devastating attack by Hamas, and appeals for an end to the fighting and protection of civilians.

Earlier, Israeli TV channels claimed the Hamas attack had led to the deaths of 900 Israelis, with at least 2,600 injured and dozens taken captive. Among the Israelis who died were 260 mostly young people who were gunned down at a desert music festival, where some of the hostages were abducted.

Gaza’s health ministry said at least 687 Palestinians were killed and 3,726 wounded in retaliatory air strikes by Israel on the blockaded enclave since Saturday. Apartment blocks, a mosque and hospitals were among the sites attacked, and the strikes destroyed some roads and houses, according to media reports and eyewitnesses.

Additional reporting by agencies