New Delhi: In the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict, a second special flight departed from Israel, carrying 274 Indian nationals seeking to return home on Saturday. This flight marks the fourth since the commencement of 'Operation Ajay' on October 12, aimed at facilitating the safe return of Indian nationals amid the recent attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas militants from Gaza on October 7.

The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv had previously announced that two special flights would operate from Ben Gurion Airport on Saturday. The first flight departed around 5:40 pm local time, and the second flight, carrying 274 Indian nationals, took off at 11:45 pm local time. A third group of 197 Indian nationals left for home at around 5:40 pm local time (8:10 pm IST). External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared on X, "#OperationAjay moves forward. 197 more passengers are coming back to India."

#OperationAjay | Fourth flight carrying 274 Indian nationals departs from Israel's Tel Aviv.

(Pics source: EAM Dr S Jaishankar's Twitter handle) pic.twitter.com/bPxvwNf815

— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2023

The Embassy of India in Israel urged Indian nationals wishing to return to complete the attached travel form as part of #OperationAjay. They also issued guidelines, mentioning that travel slots would be allocated on a 'first-come, first-served' basis, and those who do not show up or refuse to travel after confirmation would be moved to the back of the queue. Ambassador Sanjeev Singla reassured, "The Embassy has been working round the clock to facilitate all our citizens in Israel who wish to leave. We urge everyone to remain calm."

Passengers are selected on a "first-come, first-serve" basis, following a registration drive launched by the Indian embassy. The Indian government is covering the cost of their return. The first charter flight from Israel carried 212 people on Thursday, and the second batch of 235 Indian nationals returned on Friday. In total, 918 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Israel so far.

Approximately 18,000 Indian nationals, including caregivers, students, IT professionals, and diamond traders, live and work in Israel. The voluntary departure of Indian nationals became necessary after Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip launched a significant attack on Israel by land, air, and sea on October 7, resulting in more than 1,300 casualties in Israel and at least 1,900 casualties in Gaza due to Israeli counter-airstrikes. On Saturday, the Israeli military announced its preparedness for a "coordinated" offensive in the Gaza Strip, involving air, ground, and naval forces.

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