The first wave of over 200 Indians returned from Israel on Friday, relieved to be home but traumatized by what they had witnessed in the previous several days, with the sound of air raid sirens, rocket fire, and screaming ringing loudly in their ears.
On Saturday morning, Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack in southern Israel. At least 700 people have been murdered and another 2,100 have been injured in Israel, making it the country's worst day in at least 50 years.
"We were awakened by the sound of air raid sirens." "We're staying in central Israel, and I'm not sure what shape this conflict will take," Shashwat Singh said shortly after landing in Delhi with his wife.
The post-doctoral agricultural researcher, who has been in Israel since 2019, said the sound of the sirens and the horrible experience of the previous few days continue to haunt him.
The evacuation of Indians is a "laudable step," Singh stated shortly after the plane touched here. "We hope that peace will be restored and that we will be able to return to work... The Indian government contacted us via email. "We express our gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and the Indian Embassy in Israel."
As a result of a series of audacious attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas militants over the weekend, India has started Operation Ajay to aid the repatriation of individuals who choose to return home.
Many pupils who came home recalled the disastrous night of Saturday and had to hurry to shelters multiple times as a result of Hamas rocket fire.
Suparno Ghosh, a West Bengal native and first-year PhD student at Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, was also among the Indians who took the special flight to Delhi.
"We had no idea what had happened. Some rockets were launched on Saturday. But we were safe in shelters... the good news is that the Israeli government has built shelters all around the country, so we were safe," he explained.
Several female students also described the dire predicament they were in when the incidents occurred. "It was a terrifying situation." We are only students there, not citizens. So anytime the sirens sound, it's a scary situation for us," Mini Sharma, a Jaipur native, told PTI.
When asked when she learned about the rescue flight, she said, "Just a day before."
"After receiving a message from the Indian Embassy, we packed our bags yesterday morning." They were quite helpful. "We were able to contact them around the clock," Sharma explained.
"We heard sirens on Saturday," said Deepak, another student. The sound of the attack could also be heard. The Israeli officials were telling us to take precautions. I'm glad to be home, but I'm sorry that our friends are still there (in Israel)."
The youngster told reporters that the evacuation went extremely smoothly.
Another West Bengal native, Duti Banerjee, who was among the first batch of Indians evacuated from Israel, described the scene as "pretty messy and unsettled."
"Normal life has been put on hold. People are terrified and enraged. "I heard sirens and had to go to a shelter even as I was leaving," she explained.
Another student, Soni, expressed gratitude to the governments of India and Israel for "taking such good care of us."
"I booked two flights because I didn't know when the Indian government would evacuate us." But I'm pleased to be back... there are still many Indians in Israel," she remarked.
According to MEA spokeswoman Arindam Bagchi, approximately 18,000 Indians are currently resident in Israel, with another dozen in the West Bank and three to four in Gaza.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar greeted travelers as they rushed into the lounge area from the tarmac side of the Delhi airport. He met them with folded hands and shook many of their hands, saying, "Welcome home."
"I was pleased and honoured today to welcome 212 students who came back from Israel who collectively were very grateful for the smooth and efficient and highly responsive way the government of India came to their rescue."
"It gives me great pleasure to welcome, on behalf of our Prime Minister and government, our students who have returned from Israel and to thank the aircrew." "They were all thanking Prime Minister Modi unanimously," the minister stated.
Operation Ajay is compatible with the prime minister's motto of not leaving an Indian behind who is in danger. The Government of India will strive tirelessly to ensure that any Indian who needs to return safely returns to their families, Chandrasekhar added.
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