Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would “crush and destroy” all Hamas members, as the country continued its strikes in Gaza in response to the weekend assault by Hamas. Netanyahu joined opposition leader Benny Gantz to form an emergency unity government and a war Cabinet to oversee the fight against Hamas militants. It will consist of Netanyahu, Gantz, current Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and two other top officials serving as “observer” members. The government would not pass any legislation or decisions that are not connected to the war as long as the fighting continues. The war has claimed at least 2,300 lives so far.
Meanwhile, India announced the launch of “Operation Ajay” on Wednesday to help Indians stuck in Israel to return home as fresh tension triggered in the region as Hamas militants made a series of brazen attacks on Israeli towns over the weekend. As per the External Affairs Ministry, around 18,000 Indians are currently residing in Israel.
The operation is named after Ajay Bhatt, a journalist who was killed in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in 2008. The operation will be carried out by the Indian Air Force and will involve the evacuation of Indians from Israel using Air India flights.
The launch of rescue operation was confirmed by Dr. S Jaishankar as he wrote on X, “Launching Operation Ajay to facilitate the return from Israel of our citizens who wish to return”.
The first flight is scheduled to depart from Tel Aviv on Thursday and will carry 200 passengers. The operation is expected to last for several days and will involve the evacuation of all Indians who wish to return home.
The Indian government has advised all its citizens in Israel to stay indoors and to avoid crowded places. It has also urged them to register with the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv so that they can be contacted in case of an emergency.
The announcement of Operation Ajay has been welcomed by the Indian community in Israel. Many Indians have expressed their gratitude to the Indian government for taking steps to evacuate them from the country.