In the wake of escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas, a high alert was sounded in Delhi and some other states on Friday after the police received inputs from security agencies on possible anti-social activities.
Delhi Police personnel were present on the streets with heavy force during Friday prayers. Security has also been stepped up at Jewish religious establishments and the Israel Embassy.
Security agencies have alerted some other states and Union Territories as well, to ensure the safety of Israelis residing in the country.
State authorities in Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Goa were asked to ensure security for Israeli diplomats, staff and tourists, India Today reported.
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Earlier in the day, the first charter flight to facilitate the return of Indian citizens from Israel, under ‘Operation Ajay’, landed in Delhi. The flight ferried 211 adults and an infant living in the war-battered region.
This comes after many countries, including the US, UK, France and Germany, heightened security around “potential Jewish targets” and “pro-Palestinian protesters” given the escalating violence in Israel.
Israel-Hamas war
Israel has vowed an unprecedented offensive against the Islamic militant group Hamas ruling Gaza after its fighters broke through the border fence and stormed into the country’s south through air, land and sea on October 7.
On the sixth day since the conflict broke out, the Israeli military said more than 1,300 people, including 222 soldiers, were killed in Israel, a staggering toll unseen since the 1973 war with Egypt and Syria that lasted weeks.
Meanwhile, in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, at least 1,417 people, including women and children, have been killed.