The Indian Embassy in Israel on Saturday asked all Indian nationals in the country to “remain vigilant” and “observe safety protocols” as a full-fledged war broke out between the ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip and Israel killed at least 268 people from both sides.

Hamas militants fired more than 2,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, according to the Israeli military, while Hamas fighters entered southern Israel by land, sea and air, using paragliders. Hamas says it captured several Israeli soldiers near the border.

The surprise attack has killed 70 people and injured more than 600 in Israel. In the Gaza Strip side, more than 195 deaths and about 1,500 wounded have been reported in Israel’s counterattack, media reports said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared "war" and asserted that his country would extract an "unprecedented price" from its enemy.

“In view of the current situation in Israel, all Indian nationals in Israel are requested 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 Embassy said in its advisory.

The advisory gave relevant phone numbers in case of emergency and also provided URLs for Israeli Home Front Command and Preparedness brochures.

The advisory was issued in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada languages.

According to the details on the website of the Indian Embassy here, there are about 18,000 Indian citizens in Israel, primarily caregivers employed by Israeli elders, diamond traders, IT professionals and students.

There are approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel too that were part of the main waves of immigration into Israel from India in the fifties and sixties.

Meanwhile, in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, “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.”

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