India on Saturday joined the Western world in condemning the “terrorist attacks in Israel” by the Hamas group and expressed solidarity with Tel Aviv.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formulated India’s first response several hours after the world was taken by surprise at the audacity and intensity of the attack.

“Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,” the Prime Minister said.

Unlike the US and the UK, Modi did not name Hamas while describing the Palestinian militant group’s action as “terrorist attacks”.

Even in 2021 — when tensions escalated in the Levant in the month of May — India did not mention Hamas by name in its only statement on the escalation during a special session at the United Nations.

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said 27 people from his state — who had gone on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem — were stuck in Bethlehem because of Saturday’s developments.

There was no official word on what India planned to do to get its nationals out if the situation worsened.

The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv issued an advisory urging all Indians based in Israel to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities.

“Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement and stay close to safety shelters,” the advisory said.

Indians were also advised to take note of the “preparedness brochure” of the Israeli Home Front Command.

According to the embassy website, there are about 18,000 Indian citizens in Israel — primarily caregivers employed by Israeli elders, diamond traders, IT professionals and students.

Air India has cancelled its flights between Tel Aviv and Delhi because of the situation, the airline said.