New Delhi: The rising violence in Israel has raised concerns about the safety of Indian people living there. Over 18,000 Indian residents live in Israel, with the majority working as carers, IT workers, or students. Several Indian students have used cameras to share the situation on the ground as the violence continues. Some of them stated they had to stay in shelters for hours while Hamas terrorists roamed the streets killing innocent people. The students also claimed to be in frequent contact with the Indian consulate via WhatsApp.
"We weren't expecting (the Hamas attack) because it was a holiday in Israel." Everywhere there is a shelter room. We were in bunkers for about 7-8 hours till the sirens went off. "A person from the Indian embassy contacted me via WhatsApp," a student explained.
"We're nervous and scared," added another. People are driving up and firing around us. The Indian embassy is in frequent contact with us."
According to embassy sources, they are readily available to all Indian nationals around the clock and have been aggressive in guiding them.
Bindu, a PhD student at Hebrew University, told PTI that she felt safe because she "followed the instructions in letter and spirit throughout the day" on Saturday.
When contacted, some other students stated that they see the situation improving and that "we should not spread panic unnecessarily."
According to Vikas Sharma, a postdoctoral scholar at Hebrew University's Givat Ram campus, "there is a tense situation in Israel because of the attack, but all the Indian students are safe." The majority of students live in dorms and other lodgings provided by the institutions. We communicate with each other and the Indian consulate via WhatsApp."
According to government officials, all Indian people in Israel are "safe" and in contact with the Indian embassy. According to Times Now, five Indian visitors have contacted the Indian embassy for safety.
Indian embassies in Israel and Palestine have advised Indian citizens to remain vigilant and to call them if necessary.
900 of the 18,000 Indian citizens in Israel are students. In addition, there are around 85,000 Jews of Indian descent in Israel. A huge number of Jews came from India to Israel in the 1950s and 1960s, but there has been an uptick in Jewish immigration from Mizoram and Manipur in recent years.
More than 600 people, including soldiers, have been killed and 2,000 others injured in Israel as a result of the Hamas militant group's surprise and unprecedented multifront offensive - by air, land, and sea - on the Gaza Strip's southern portions on Saturday morning.
According to media sources, Israel's onslaught in Gaza has resulted in more than 300 dead and approximately 1,500 injuries.
The Indian embassy has received appeals from Indian visitors who are stuck in the country to help them leave. The majority of tourists go in groups.
There are also some businessmen visiting Israel who have become caught up in the escalation and are requesting evacuation.
On Saturday, the Indian mission in Tel Aviv and the Indian Representative Office in Palestine issued cautions urging Indian nationals on both sides to "remain vigilant" and "directly contact the Office" in the event of an emergency.
With inputs from PTI
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