NEW DELHI: In the midst of the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, India on Friday said that it has not yet initiated an evacuation process to bring back Indians from Israel, Iran, and other countries in the region. During a weekly briefing, Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), emphasised that flight services are still available for those who wish to return to India.
Jaiswal further talked about India’s stance on the ongoing tensions, saying “We issued a statement a few days back expressing deep concern – we said that the violence and the situation is of deep concern for us. We had reiterated a call for restraint by all concerned and also the protection of civilians.”
He further stressed the importance of preventing the conflict from escalating into a broader regional issue. Jaiswal clarified that as of now, flights are still operating from Israel, Iran, and other countries, providing people with the option to leave if they desire.
Although families have reached out to the Indian government and its embassies, there is currently no ongoing evacuation process.
“It is important in our opinion that this conflict doesn’t take a wider regional dimension. As of now, from Israel, Iran and other countries, flights are running so people have the option if they want to leave. Families have reached out to us and to our embassies, but at this point, we don’t have any evacuation process going on,” he added.
Regarding the Indian population in Middle Eastern countries, Jaiswal provided the following figures: approximately 3,000 people reside in Lebanon, primarily in Beirut; 30,000 Indians, mostly caregivers and workers, live in Israel; and around 10,000 people, including 5,000 students, are currently in Iran.