The inaugural charter flight aimed at repatriating Indians stranded in Israel is scheduled to take off from Ben Gurion airport on Thursday night, according to sources. This flight, adhering to a "first come first serve" basis, will carry approximately 230 Indian residents living in Israel. It is noteworthy that passengers on this flight will not be charged any fares, as the government is assuming financial responsibility for their return journey.
Among those availing themselves of this initial flight are individuals who couldn't travel to India due to Air India's immediate suspension of flights from Israel on October 7. These efforts are part of 'Operation Ajay,' which was announced by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday.
A review meeting was convened earlier today by Minister Jaishankar to assess the preparations for the departure of the first charter flight from Israel. Furthermore, a round-the-clock control room has been established in Delhi, along with separate emergency helplines in Tel Aviv and Ramallah, to oversee the situation and furnish information and assistance to Indian citizens requiring support.
The Indian Embassy in Israel disclosed that it sent emails to the first batch of registered Indian citizens for the special flight on Thursday, with subsequent messages to follow for other registered individuals on future flights.
Kobbi Shoshani, Israel's Consul General in Mumbai, reported that more than 20,000 Indians reside in the nation, currently involved in hostilities with the Palestinian group Hamas. While an exact count of Indians stranded in Israel is unavailable, these efforts aim to bring them safely back home.
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