International Desk: The first flight under Operation Ajay, carrying 212 Indian nationals, took off from the Ben Gurion airport, Israel on Thursday evening. The flight is expected to land in Mumbai later in the day. The operation was launched by the Indian government to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Israel due to the ongoing conflict with Palestine.
The flight is carrying a mix of students, professionals, and families. The Indian government has said that it will continue to evacuate Indian nationals from Israel until all of them have been safely brought home.
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.
The flight, which took off at 22:14 local time, was arranged to facilitate the return of those who were unable to do so because Air India had immediately suspended its flight on the day fighting began on October 7, and its commercial operation remains suspended till now.
The evacuation of Indian nationals from Israel is a complex and challenging task. The Indian government is working closely with the Israeli government to ensure the safety and security of all Indian nationals being evacuated.