Indian students expressed gratitude to embassy for ensuring their safe returns amid Israel-Gaza conflict

Rahul, a PhD student in organic chemistry in Israel, told ANI: "When it (the war) started, it was all so sudden... it was chaos and confusion that day. And then things became clear. The embassy reached out to us about the flight back home. They assured us of sending back all of us who wanted to go home."

Rahul said the Indian embassy swiftly organized the evacuation.

"So, eventually, they took us back in two, three days. Like all the people who wanted to go home, we signed up via email and then they took us home in three days. And, yeah, it was very clear and we knew what to do exactly," he added.

Another Indian student echoed similar sentiment and said: "After the attacks of October 7, we received an email from the embassy. We contacted the embassy and the government of India. The Indian embassy was very kind to reach back with help. They made all the necessary arrangements... everything went off smoothly. So we would like to thank the Indian government, as well as the government of Israel."

The Indian government on October 11 launched Operation Ajay to help willing stranded nationals in Israel return home.

As of December 2023, 1,309 Indian nationals, 14 OCI card holders, and 20 Nepalese returned to India from Israel on six flights arranged under 'Operation Ajay', ANI reported.