New Delhi, Aug 2 (UNI) The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv today asked all Indian nationals in Israel to remain vigilant, adhere to safety protocols and avoid unnecessary travel within the country, amid heightened risk of military escalation in the area following the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.
In an advisory, the Indian Embassy said:
“In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols as advised by the local authorities.
“Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters. The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and remains in regular touch with the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals.”
It also urged Indian nationals who have not yet registered with the Indian embassy to do so.
The advisory comes as Iran vowed retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on early Wednesday, which it has blamed on Israel. The White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said the United States is ready to move resources to the Middle East if needed.
“[The US] is always reevaluating our force posture in the Middle East to make sure that we’ve got what we need to defend ourselves, our troops, our facilities – but also our allies and partners, such as Israel,” Kirby told CNN on Friday.
Kirby’s remarks came after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sent a warning to Israel, following Haniyeh’s death in Tehran. “You killed our dear guest in our house and now have paved the way for your harsh punishment,” Khamenei said on Wednesday.
On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hezbollah tried to launch rockets toward Arab al-Aramashe, an Israeli village close to the Lebanese border, but that the rockets did not cross into Israel.
