India evacuates 212 nationals from Israel in special flight

Thursday night, 211 adults and a baby who were living in the war-torn area boarded the first charter flight designed to make it easier for Indian nationals to return from Israel.

The Indian embassy organized a drive for all Indians to register at the mission's database, and after that, the passengers were selected on a "first come first serve" basis. The expense of their return is being borne by the government.

The flight, which departed at 22:14 local time, was scheduled to help individuals who couldn't return home since Air India had immediately ceased operations on October 7, the day that fighting broke out, and it hasn't resumed since.

"Operation Ajay commences. The flight carrying 212 citizens is en way to New Delhi, according to a post on X by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

"Operation Ajay's inaugural aircraft, carrying 212 Indian citizens, has left Tel Aviv for Delhi. The Indian mission on X wrote, "We hope everyone traveling safely is on board the Indian embassy in Israel."

Indians, including students, were waiting in a huge line at the airport to catch the special flight from Tel Aviv that was part of "Operation Ajay."

After Hamas militants breached the border fence and swept into the southern region of Israel on October 7, Israel pledged an unprecedented offensive against the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza.

The Israeli military reported on the sixth day that over 1,300 people have died in Israel, including 222 soldiers. This is a startling number that hasn't been witnessed since the weeks-long conflict that Israel and Egypt had in 1973. Authorities in the Gaza Strip, which is administered by Hamas, report that at least 1,417 people—including women and children—have died there.

'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Matram' were chanted by the returning passengers, who were in a celebratory mood.

"India has our gratitude. The majority of the pupils were rather alarmed. A student aboard the flight, Shubham Kumar, stated, "We suddenly saw a notification and the links for every Indian citizen from the Indian embassy, which boosted our morale."

Another student reported that everything was fine and that he was going to his lab in northern Israel as usual, but that he had packed his luggage in response to an email from the embassy.

The strain from my friends and family was too much for me to bear, even though everything else seemed normal. He remarked, "I am glad to be going home, but I am sad to see the troubles here.

The first group of Indian citizens to register for the special flight received an email from the Indian embassy. The mission had stated in a post on X that "messages to other registered people will follow for subsequent flights".

A second flight is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, and emails registering people to depart on a "first come, first served basis" have already been released by the embassy.

Jaishankar declared on Wednesday that operation Ajay would begin in order to assist Indians who want to return home.

"We are starting #OperationAjay to help our citizens who want to return from Israel. Additional plans are being made, including special charter flights," Jaishankar stated. The minister of external affairs declared that he was "fully committed to the safety and well-being of our nationals abroad."

Israel's primary international airport is Ben Gurion International Airport. The location lies on the northern periphery of Lod.

There has been a complete cessation of rocket launches emanating from Gaza, despite Israel's ongoing military onslaught against the Gaza Strip.

Between Wednesday at 10 PM and Thursday morning at 9 AM, no rockets were fired into Israel. According to some observers, Hamas is reserving its arsenal for "an eventual ground incursion."