NEW DELHI: The

Indian embassy

in Israel has issued an advisory on Friday, for all

Indian nationals

in the country, urging them to “

stay vigilant

and adhere to the safety protocols” amid

escalating tensions

in the

Middle East

region after the back-to-back assassinations of two senior Hamas leaders and a top Hezbollah commander.
The assassinations of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, Hamas’ military wing head Mohammed Deif in Gaza, and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Lebanon last month have heightened the risk of further escalation.

The embassy urged caution and advised avoiding unnecessary travel within Israel, emphasizing the importance of staying close to safety shelters. “Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary 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 stated.
This advisory has been posted on all the embassy’s social media platforms and issued in multiple languages including English, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada. It also provided emergency contact information for those in need of immediate assistance. The telephone numbers given are +972-547520711 and +972-543278392, and the email address provided is cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in for 24X7 help “in case of any emergency.”

In response to the situation, Air India has cancelled its Delhi-Tel Aviv flights until August 8. This action follows similar decisions by about ten other international airlines, despite Israeli assurances that its airspace remains “absolutely safe.”
The Indian mission’s advisory in Israel follows a similar caution issued by the Indian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. On Thursday, the embassy in Beirut strongly advised Indian nationals against travelling to Lebanon and recommended that those already in the country should leave.
The current instability traces back to October 7 of the previous year when Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in over 1,200 deaths. Israel’s swift retaliation has continued, resulting in more than 36,000 Palestinian casualties. Moreover, the violence had spread to the Lebanon border, leading to confrontations between Israeli troops and Hezbollah soon after the Hamas attack.