India urges its citizens in Israel to avoid travel amid spike in tensions
India on Friday urged its citizens in Israel to avoid unnecessary travel and to stay close to safety shelters amid rising fears that Iran would retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
An advisory issued by the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv urged Indian nationals in Israel to “stay vigilant and adhere to safety protocols as advised by the local authorities.”.
The advisory further said Indians should “exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country, and stay close to safety shelters.” The embassy said it is closely monitoring the situation and is in touch with Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all Indian nationals.
There are about 26,000 Indian citizens in Israel, most of them working as caregivers for Israeli elders. There are also diamond traders, IT professionals, workers in the construction and agriculture sectors, and students. The number of Indians in the country has increased since the start of the conflict with Hamas last October as Israel began hiring more Indians to replace Palestinian workers.
The advisory from the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv came a day after the mission in Beirut urged Indian nationals to leave Lebanon because of “potential threats in the region” following the escalation of tensions due to the killing of leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. There are nearly 4,000 Indian nationals in Lebanon.
Top Iranian officials were set to meet representatives of regional allies from Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen to discuss retaliation against Israel after the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran. The region faces the risk of widened conflict between Israel, Iran, and its proxies after Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran on Wednesday and the killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli strike in Beirut on Tuesday.
Haniyeh was killed with a bodyguard when an explosion ripped through the building where he was staying in Tehran. He was in Iran to attend the inauguration of new President Masoud Pezeshkian. Both Hamas and Iranian leaders blamed Israel for the strike that killed him.