Operation Ajay: Sixth chartered flight brings back 143 people from Israel
More than 1,200 people returned from Israel in the previous five chartered flight
Tel Aviv (PTI) A special flight carrying 143 persons, including two Nepalese citizens and four infants, wanting to leave Israel amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict, left for India on Sunday as part of ‘Operation Ajay’.
It was the sixth flight as part of Operation Ajay launched on October 12 to facilitate the return of those Indian nationals who wish to return home following the brazen attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas militants from Gaza on October 7.
The flight is carrying 143 persons, including two Nepalese citizens and four infants, informed sources told PTI.
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Shashwat Singh, a post-doctoral researcher, who has been living in Israel since 2019, reached Delhi along with his wife.
“We woke up to sounds of air raids’ sirens. We stay in central Israel. I don’t know what shape this conflict will take… I am doing postdoc in agriculture there,” he told PTI.
The evacuation of Indians is a “praiseworthy step”, Singh said soon after the flight landed. “We hope peace will be restored and we will return to work… The Indian government got in touch with us via email. We are thankful to Prime Minister Modi and the Indian Embassy in Israel.” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said around 18,000 Indians are currently residing in Israel while about a dozen people are in the West Bank and three to four are in Gaza.
So far, five chartered flights from Tel Aviv arrived in Delhi with nearly 1,200 passengers, including children.
Since the start of hostilities, nearly 4,400 Palestinians have been killed.
According to official Israeli sources, at least 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel.