‘Exercise Caution, Avoid Unnecessary Travel’: Indian Embassy in Israel
New Delhi: Days after Hamas's political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran, India's embassy in Israel issued an advisory to citizens in the country on Friday (August 2) asking them to “exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel within the country”.
The advisory, which the embassy issued in English as well six Indian languages and said was “in view of the prevailing situation in the region”, also asks Indian citizens to stay in proximity to safety shelters.
Hamas is the Palestinian political and military organisation that governs the Gaza strip. After it launched a terror attack in Israel in October last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “crush and destroy” Hamas.
Israel did not claim responsibility for the killing of Haniyeh, who was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's new President Masoud Pezeshkian, but Hamas and Iran have blamed Israel for it.
And a day before Haniyeh was killed, Israel said it had killed Fuad Shukr, the commander of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, after it blamed him for orchestrating an attack in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that killed 12 children.
India's embassy in Lebanon issued an advisory following Shukr's killing, strongly advising Indian citizens to leave the country.
“Those who remain for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the embassy of India in Beirut through their email ID,” the advisory issued on Thursday said.
Haniyeh's and Shukr's killings have led to concerns that Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and allied groups will look to retaliate against Israel.
There are around 18,000 Indians working and living in Israel. Most of them work in the healthcare sector.
Earlier this year, an agreement between India and Israel facilitated the movement of 1,500 Indian labourers to Israel to work mostly in the construction sector.
Following Hamas's October attack, Israel's military has launched an offensive in Gaza that is estimated to have killed over 39,000 people.
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