What is Operation Ajay?
Recently, Israel has gone to war against Hamas after Hamas attacked the country. At this difficult time, many Indians are stuck in Israel. On 11th October 2023, India announced Operation Ajay to help these Indians come back home.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) says that around 18,000 Indians currently stay in Israel. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, announced Operation Ajay. He said Operation Ajay was launched to help Indians who wish to return to India from Israel. Special flights and other arrangements are being made to bring them back safely.
When are the flights scheduled?
Many Indians were brought back on 12th October 2023 on a special flight. The Indian embassy in Israel is helping other Indians return safely. The embassy has launched a 24-hour helpline. They've asked Indian citizens to stay calm, be watchful, and follow the security alerts.
They have started a 24-hour helpline. The MEA has also set up a 24-hour control room to monitor the situation and provide help. Another emergency helpline has been set up in the Representative Office of India in Ramallah (a Palestinian city).
Has India organised similar rescue missions earlier?
The Indian government has done many missions to help and rescue Indians worldwide. Here are some of them:
- Operation Ganga: This operation was launched to rescue Indians following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- Operation Sankat Mochan: In 2016, this operation was done to rescue Indians and foreign nationals from other countries in South Sudan during a civil war.
- Operation Devi Shakti: Conducted in 2021 to rescue Indians and foreigners from Afghanistan when the Taliban took over.
- Operation Kaveri: Conducted in 2023 to rescue many Indians from conflict-hit Sudan.
These are some rescue missions undertaken by the Indian government to help the country’s citizens.
