"We Were On Video Call When...": Husband Of Indian Injured In Hamas Attack

An Indian woman in Israel was injured in the massive surprise attack on the country with a barrage of rockets by Hamas while she was on a video call with her husband, her family has told NDTV.

Sheeja Anand, a medical caregiver from Kerala's Payyavoor in Kannur district, was injured during the missile attack on Ashkelon, a coastal city in the southern part of Israel, on Saturday.

"We were talking on a video concall on Saturday at around 12 noon. She was telling me that rocket attacks are going on, I told her to stay at a safe place. Suddenly the phone connection got disrupted," said the woman's husband.

"Later, I got to know that there has been an explosion at the place where Sheeja was staying. I called up her friends to enquire about Sheeja, as I was told that they can't step out or go anywhere, due to restrictions. After a gap of 3-4 hours, I was told by her friends that she has minor injury on her hands and she has been taken to hospital," he said further.

The medical caregiver will have to undergo spine injury, said her husband.

Reeling from Hamas' unprecedented ground, air and sea attacks, Israel has counted over 700 dead and launched a withering barrage of strikes on Gaza that have killed 560 people there.

"I was told that there are injuries on her leg, chest, stomach. After she was operated I got a video call from her through her friends, that's when I got to see Sheeja. During the conversation, I was told that she will be taken to another hospital for surgery on spine," he further added.

Dozens of foreigners have been killed in the violence, including victims from Thailand, Nepal, Ukraine, France, Britain, US, Canada and Cambodia.

"We have not received any call from embassy or from our government. What I have to say is that the government of India should intervene and help us out in this need of hour," he said.

Ms Anand's brother-in-law, Devan, has told news agency PTI that she has been working as a caregiver in Israel for the past seven years and that she had come to Kerala last year for a visit.

"We have been informed that she has been transferred to another hospital for spine injury. We were told that she has got injury on her hands and legs. On Saturday at 12.30 noon she was on a video call with her husband. Her friends told us that she is injured seriously," said Sjiji, sister of Ms Anand.  

As gun battles are raging in towns and on highways, nearly 18,000 citizens are stuck in Israel. The majority of them are caregivers, IT professionals and students.

The Indian embassy at Jerusalem and the Representative Office of India in Palestine on Saturday issued advisories asking Indian nationals in respective countries to "remain vigilant" and "directly contact the Office" in case of emergency as a full-fledged war broke out between the ruling Hamas group in the Gaza Strip and Israel.