Israel-Hamas War Enters Day 6; India Launches Operation Ajay To Bring Back Stranded Citizens (Image: United Nations)
After the first meeting of Israel”s emergency government, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that every Hamas member is “a dead man”. Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “to crush and destroy Hamas” as the Israel-Hamas war entered its sixth day. Netanyahu, along with senior opposition leader Benny Gantz, created a wartime Cabinet in the country. The Cabinet will focus only on the war.
Amid the tensions between Israel and Hamas, India announced “Operation Ajay” to bring back citizens stranded in war-hit Israel. “Special charter flights and other arrangements being put in place,” added External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while announcing the launch of “Operation Ajay”. There are almost 18,000 Indians in Israel. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also formed a round-the-clock control room in the national capital and separate emergency helplines in Tel Aviv and Ramallah. The Indian embassy in Israel said on X that it has emailed the first group registered Indian citizens for the special flight tomorrow.
Launching #OperationAjay to facilitate the return from Israel of our citizens who wish to return.
Special charter flights and other arrangements being put in place.
Fully committed to the safety and well-being of our nationals abroad.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 11, 2023
The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) informed on early Thursday that more than 330,000 people have been displaced in Gaza since Israel started the attack. A statement from OCHA indicates that the cumulative number of displaced people surged by 30 percent over the past 24 hours. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said that the death toll in the region is nearing 1,200 since Saturday. Also, almost 600,000 people have no access to water in Gaza. Clinics and emergency units are reportedly operating without power and supplies.
According to the social media post shared by the Israel Defense Forces, they are currently conducting a large-scale attack on the Gaza Strip, targeting Hamas. Israel”s massive bombardment in Gaza has destroyed entire city blocks in the region. Reports say that Israeli fighter jets have attacked 450 targets in northern Gaza in 24 hours. Meanwhile, Egypt has denied to provide shelter to refugees who have escaped from Israel.
