• Source:JND
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As the Middle East crisis gets more serious after the US attacks on Iranian nuclear plants, India has accelerated its evacuation mission under Operation Sindhu. With Israeli airspace closed and commercial air services grounded, over 300 Indian citizens started leaving Israel via land routes. The initial batch of evacuees has already entered neighboring countries and is making their way to India. Further evacuations will follow over the next few days.

Indian nationals, mostly students and professionals, were seen early Monday standing in line with suitcases outside the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv, as reported by NDTV. Buses queued up on the streets to ferry evacuees to Jordan and Egypt, from where they would be evacuated to New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had declared that Indian nationals "desiring to leave" Israel would be evacuated via coordinated land and aerial routes. It is estimated that more than 18,000 Indians are living in Israel at present. "Their movement from Israel to India will be made through the land borders and then by air to India. The Government of India gives topmost priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals overseas," the MEA said. An Indian national in Israel, hailing from Operation Sindhu, says, “We received an email from the embassy and have been in contact with them. They told us to report here by 6:30 AM. From here, we’ll travel by road to Jordan, and then fly from Amman to Delhi. We are so proud of our embassy; they have helped us a lot.”

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The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv has asked all unregistered Indian nationals to fill in their details at:
https://www.indembassyisrael.gov.in/indian_national_reg

Emergency contact numbers 24/7:
• +972 54-7520711
• +972 54-3278392
• Email: cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in

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Operation Sindhu Continues

The scaling up of Operation Sindhu to Israel comes on the heels of its first deployment in Iran, where tensions are also running high. India has been working with both Egyptian and Jordan authorities to ensure the safe passage of its nationals. India has already evacuated more than 1,400 citizens from Iran, many of whom were Jammu and Kashmir students. Iranian authorities were reportedly permitting the sole use of their airspace for Indian evacuation flights. Iran's Deputy Chief of Mission, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, confirmed that there are approximately 10,000 Indian citizens residing in Iran, and repatriation efforts are underway for those seeking it.