Amid escalating tensions in West Asia (Middle East), the Indian Embassy in Israel has cautioned all Indians to stay vigilant and follow safety protocols advised by local authorities. The advisory was issued within hours of Iran threatening an attack on Israel in the aftermath of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah being killed in an Israeli missile attack.
Iran followed up on the threat by launching over a hundred rockets at Israel, Iran's state media confirmed. Israel's defence forces said that its nationals were already in bunkers, taking shelter from the attack.
The nearly year-long conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza strip has intensified with Tel Aviv going after Hezbollah - an Iran-backed militant organisation which supports Hamas. Iran had vowed to avenge the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, killed last week, and had warned Israel of an imminent ballistic missile attack against it.
"In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay vigilant and adhere to safety protocols as advised by the local authorities," The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv said in its advisory.
"Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters," it added.
The Embassy also shared round-the-clock helpline numbers where Indian nationals can call in case of emergency. "The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and remains in regular touch with Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals," it said, adding, "In case of any emergency, please contact the 24x7 helpline of the Embassy - +972-547520711 and +972-543278392."
The Embassy also shared an e-mail ID - cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in - for Indian nationals to reach out, urging those "who are yet to register with the Embassy" to please do so immediately. It attached the form along with the message.
