The first flight under Indian government's Israel mission 'Operation Ajay' landed in New Delhi on Friday morning. The flight, carrying 212 Indian citizens, took off from Ben Gurion airport in Israel on Thursday evening.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar was present at the Delhi airport to welcome the Indians home. The Union Minister reassured the passengers, stating India’s commitment to the safety of every Indian is unwavering. "Our government will never leave any Indian behind. Our government, our Prime Minister is determined to protect them and bring them back home safely. We are grateful to EAM Dr S Jaishankar, the team at the External Affairs Ministry, the flight crew of this Air India flight for making this possible, for bringing our children back home safely and soundly and back home to their loved ones," Chandrasekhar told reporters.
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the arrival on X. "Welcome to the homeland! 1st #OperationAjay flight carrying 212 citizens touches down in New Delhi," posted Arindam Bagchi, official spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed the charter of the flight on Thursday night, sharing pictures of Indians from the Ben Gurion airport. Those who were evacuated included students.
There was a festive mood among the returnees who raised chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Matram' on the flight, reported PTI.
The passengers were chosen on a "first come first serve" basis after a drive launched by the Indian embassy for all Indians to register at the mission's database. The government is bearing the cost of their return.
Meanwhile, those who arrived in Delhi recounted their horror at the situation in Israel. "On the first day, we were sleeping and at around 6.30 there was siren...so we ran towards the shelter and it was very hard but we managed," an Indian national, carrying an infant, told ANI.
Another Indian national Vishesh, a student, said the situation was scary. "It was very scary. Thanks a lot to the Indian government for evacuating us," he added.
Another passenger told ANI that this was the first time that they were facing such a situation over there. "We are very thankful to the Indian government, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing us back. We are hoping for peace as soon as possible so that we can go back to work as earliest as possible" he added.
Another student said that things were normal and he was attending his lab as usual in northern Israel but packed his bags after an email from the embassy. "I couldn't handle the pressure from my family and friends and even though things were quite normal. I am happy to go home but sad to see the problems here," he said.