Indians in Israel asked to stay vigilant; Air India suspends flights to Tel Aviv until Aug 8

Tel Aviv:The Indian embassy here on Friday advised all Indian nationals in Israel to stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols amid the cancellation of flights by multiple airlines as tension escalated in the region following the back-to-back assassination of two senior Hamas leaders and a top Hezbollah commander.

Air India cancelled its Delhi-Tel Aviv flights on Thursday until August 8 and at least 10 international airlines are avoiding airspace in the region in apprehension of the explosive situation.

On Friday, the Embassy of India said here in the advisory: Please exercise caution, avoid unecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters. The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and remains in regular touch with the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals.

The advisory, posted on all social media platforms of the Embassy, and issued in English, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada, also gave contact details such as telephone numbers +972-547520711 and +972-543278392 along with the email address cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in for 24X7 help in case of any emergency.

Israel has been threatened by multiple countries and groups with severe consequences after it was blamed for the killings of the three high-profile figures of Hezbollah and Hamas. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran; head of Hamas' military wing Mohammed Deif was killed in Gaza, and Hezbollah Commander Fouad Shukr died in a strike in Lebanon in quick succession last month. 

The advisory by the Indian mission in Israel comes a day after the Indian Embassy in Beirut on Thursday strongly advised Indian nationals against travelling to Lebanon till further notice. It also advised them to leave Lebanon.

The Indian mission had similarly issued an important advisory on April 14 following attacks on the Jewish State by Iran with hundreds of projectiles.

Meanwhile, the Israel Airports Authority issued a statement declaring that its national airspace remains absolutely safe, prompted by the cancellation of flights by at least 10 airlines to and from the country.

The situation had already been fragile since October 7 last year, when Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel killing more than 1,200 people, prompting a quick retaliation by Israel that has continued as of date and seen more than 36,000 Palestinians dead.

On the other hand, violence had flared across the Lebanon border between Israeli troops and Hezbollah almost immediately after the Hamas attack.

In the latest situation, Iran and its proxies in the region have threatened to avenge the death of Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr. The Iranian threat has led to worldwide diplomatic initiatives to thwart a possible further conflagration in the region already struggling with Israel's offensive in Gaza following the terror attack on its territory on October 7 by Hamas.

There are regular exchanges of fire between the Jewish state and the Lebanese Shi'ite faction Hezbollah, which joined the war in solidarity with Hamas.

Houthis, considered Iran's proxy in Yemen, and other factions seen as close to Tehran, have also from time to time carried out attacks against Israel and at assets of other countries seen to be supportive of the Jewish state, disrupting international waters and global trade routes.