- No Indian workers in Israel will be forced to return, said the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv
- It asked citizens not to "believe such misinformation" and to always rely on "official updates"
- Last week, the embassy asked all Indians in Israel to stay vigilant and avoid any unnecessary movement
The government, putting an end to rumours, said that no Indian workers in Israel would be forced to return to their home country. "A message circulating on social media claiming Indian workers in Israel would be forced to return to India or face jail/fine if they register with the Embassy of India is fake," the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv said today.
It asked citizens not to "believe or forward such misinformation". "Always rely on official updates from @Indemtel (Embassy of India, Tel Aviv) for accurate info," a post on X said.
The embassy said that the "registration of Indian nationals in Israel is to enable the Embassy to reach out to them not only in times of crisis but also to help them avail of the various facilities and welfare schemes of the Government of India".
This comes amid a heightened tension between Israel and Iran, who have been launching fresh attacks on each other, killing scores of people on both sides. The latest crisis between the longtime foes started more than a week ago when Israel, under its 'Operation Rising Lion', conducted multiple strikes on the territory of Iran, with Tehran also returning fire after warning Israel.
Last week, the embassy asked all Indians in Israel to stay vigilant and avoid any unnecessary movement while adhering to the safety protocols issued by the Israeli authorities.
Indians have been employed in Israel for decades, thousands as caregivers looking after elderly Israelis, while others work as diamond traders and IT professionals.
But since the war in Gaza escalated in 2023, recruiters have launched a drive to bring Indians in for Israel's construction sector also. The drive was a part of the Israeli government's effort to fill a void left by tens of thousands of Palestinian construction workers barred from entering Israel since Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack.
Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has said that his country is in "constant contact" with the Ministry of External Affairs on the subject of the evacuation of Indian nationals from there amid the escalation of conflict with Iran.
On Wednesday, India announced the launch of 'Operation Sindhu' to evacuate its nationals from Iran.
