Operation Ajay: Israel-Hamas war survivors recount ‘horror’, say ‘they destroyed everything’
Israel-Hamas War: Israeli airstrike kills hundreds at Gaza hospital. Abbas cancels meeting with Biden after hospital attack.
The Israel-Hamas war has entered its 12th day on Wednesday since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7 killing at least 1,400 people. India has started Operation Ajay to facilitate the return of Indians from war-torn Israel.
One such survivor from Kerala, Sabitha, recounted the Hamas attack and narrated how she saved the Israeli civilians.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Israel in India said, “Indian superwomen! Listen to this story of Ms Sabitha, a caregiver from Kerala, as she shares how she and Meera Mohanan saved the Israeli civilians they were taking care of by holding the door handle & preventing the Hamas Terrorists from bursting in & killing them.”
Sabitha, in the video, said that she has been working as a caregiver along the border for over three years.
“I and Meera, both were working at a home here. As caregivers, we used to take care of an old lady who was suffering from the als disease. On that day, I was on the night shift and was about to leave around 6.30 when we heard the sirens. We immediately ran to a safety room,” the Kerala woman recalled.
“We were completely lost, didn't know what to do. The old woman's daughter came to us and asked to lock all the doors as the situation was getting out of control there. After a few minutes, terrorists broke into our house. They were shooting and breaking the glasses,” the survivor said.
Around 1 pm, the sirens were heard once again, she said, adding, “The father of the house told us that the Israeli army had come to save us. We had never expected such a terrorist attack. Everything was destroyed outside.”
Also Read: Live updates on Israel-Hamas war
Rahul, a resident of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, was another such survivor who was unable to leave Israel in the early days of the Israel-Gaza war and has now reunited with his family.
Speaking about his return from the war-torn country Rahul said, "I travelled to Israel last year in December 2022. I was pursuing PhD in the Pharmacy division there. I spent 10 months there, I had a flight back to India on 7 October, but my flight got cancelled due to the disturbances early morning on October 7. Half an hour before my takeoff, my flight got cancelled."
"Thereafter, I heard about Operation Ajay, which was launched to repatriate Indians from Israel amid the ongoing offensive in Gaza. I registered and spoke to the concerned people under the initiative and got the opportunity to return back to India," he added.
His father expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his son's return to India.
"I want to thank the government for taking speedy cognizance of the Indians stranded in Israel. Their flights had been cancelled, this made their chances of returning very uncertain. We are reaping the benefits of Prime Minister Modi's governance."
"We are very happy about the safe arrival of our son. There was a lot of tension due to Israel and Hamas conflicts. We are grateful for Operation Ajay to have returned our son back to the country all safe and sound," Rahul's mother told ANI.
Operation Ajay is an ongoing operation conducted by the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian citizens from Israel during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. The fourth flight from Israel under 'Operation Ajay' carrying 274 Indian passengers landed in the national capital on Sunday.
The Indian embassy in Israel is providing assistance to Indian companies and has set up a helpline for Indian citizens in need of assistance.
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Business NewsNewsIndiaOperation Ajay: Israel-Hamas war survivors recount ‘horror’, say ‘they destroyed everything’
First Published:18 Oct 2023, 09:34 AM IST
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