Operation Sindhu: First batch of 160 Indians returns home from Israel as conflict escalates

With Israeli airspace closed and commercial flights suspended, the Indian missions in Israel and Jordan jointly evacuated 160 Indian nationals in the first batch under Operation Sindhu on Sunday, according to an embassy source.

The missions organised the first batch of evacuation from Israel as the Indian nationals living in Israel constantly grappled with the sounds of sirens, frequently taking cover in bunkers and fortified safe rooms from incoming missiles and drones from Iran.

“The first group of 160 Indian nationals evacuated from Israel have successfully crossed the Israel-Jordan border and are now safe in Jordan,” officials told PTI.

“Arrangements have been made for their return to India, with a special evacuation flight scheduled to depart early tomorrow morning,” they said.

The Indian nationals reached the Jordanian border for evacuation earlier, the embassy sources told PTI.

The Indian embassy in Amman is looking after their accommodation and transportation.

India launched Operation Sindhu last week to bring back Indians from Iran and Israel as hostilities between the two nations increased.

Sensing the urgency of the situation, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv last week set up a 24/7 control room to oversee all facets of the evacuation efforts, the source said.

The control room directed Indian nationals to register via an online portal and compiled a detailed database of Indian citizens across Israel, it said.

“This operation underscores India’s unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad. Operation Sindhu is yet another testament to India’s emergence as a credible ‘first responder’ in international crises,” a statement from the Indian mission said.

The Indian nationals scheduled to be evacuated in the first batch gathered at designated assembly points in Tel Aviv and Haifa early Sunday morning and were then taken by road to the Sheikh Hussein Bridge on the Israel-Jordan border, some 120 kilometres from here.

After completing immigration and border formalities at the Israel-Jordanian border, the group proceeded to Amman Airport, another 120 kilometres ride.

Arvind Shukla, a researcher from Hebrew University who was evacuated on Sunday morning, praised “the smooth and carefully planned process” by the embassy under “difficult circumstances”, and told PTI: “I have completed the visa process and have already moved to the Jordanian side. The embassy was extremely helpful in facilitating our journey, and we were looked after well.”

The Israeli and Jordanian governments extended crucial support in ensuring the safe and orderly transit of Indian nationals across the border, the mission in Tel Aviv said.

The Embassy of India in Jordan played a key role in receiving the evacuees at the border to further facilitate their onward journey to Amman Airport, it said.

Special flights from Amman to New Delhi have been arranged by the Ministry of External Affairs to safely fly Indian nationals home.

Some flights are also planned to leave from Egypt in the coming days, as there are many Indians living in the south of Israel.

There are over 40,000 Indian nationals in Israel working as caregivers, construction workers, students, professionals and others.

311 more Indians evacuated from Iran

India on Sunday evacuated more than 300 Indian nationals from Iran amid the escalating tensions between the Persian Gulf nation and Israel following the US bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said 311 Indians landed in Delhi on a special flight from the Iranian city of Mashhad.

With the fresh batch of evacuees, the total number of those brought back from Iran now stands at 1,428.

Three-hundred eleven Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 1630 hours on June 22, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

He said a total of 1,428 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran so far.

India launched Operation Sindhu last week to bring back Indians from Iran and Israel in view of increasing hostilities between the two nations.

Israel and Iran have fired hundreds of missiles and drones at each other’s cities and military and strategic facilities since the hostilities began over a week back.

The tensions escalated significantly following the US bombing of three major Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday morning.

India has evacuated its nationals on chartered flights operated from the Iranian city of Mashhad, the Armenian capital of Yerevan and the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat since Wednesday.

Iran lifted airspace restrictions on Friday to facilitate three chartered flights from Mashhad.

The first flight landed in New Delhi late on Friday with 290 Indians, and the second one landed in the national capital on Saturday afternoon with 310 Indians.

Another flight arrived from the Armenian capital city of Yerevan on Thursday. A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat landed in New Delhi early on Saturday morning.