New Delhi on Friday urged Indians in Israel to be watchful and stick to the safety protocols issued by Israeli authorities amid fears of escalated violence in the region.

Iran is expected to try and avenge the assassination of Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh on its soil, and the conflict between Tel Aviv and the Hezbollah in Lebanon has intensified. India has already advised its nationals to leave Lebanon.

The Israel advisory comes a little over two days after Haniyeh’s assassination on Wednesday morning in Tehran. Israel has not yet claimed responsibility for the operation but Iran has vowed revenge.

The assassination took place not just on Iranian soil but only hours after the swearing-in of new President Masoud Pezeshkian, for which representatives of various countries including India had gathered in Tehran the previous evening.

The Indian embassy’s advisory in Tel Aviv 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.”

India is unlikely to send any more workers to Israel for now, given the situation in the region.

Earlier on Friday, Air India had announced the suspension of scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv till August 8.

“In view of the ongoing situation in parts of the Middle East, we have suspended scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv with immediate effect up to and including 08 August 2024,” the airline said.

Air India said: “We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv during this period, with a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges. Safety of our guests and crew remains our foremost priority.”

Over 20,000 Indians are likely to be in Israel, working mostly in geriatric care and in the construction industry. Some are IT professionals or students.

About 18,000 Indians were in Israel during the October 7 terror strikes, following which Tel Aviv requested India to send labourers for its construction industry as the work permits of Palestinians had been summarily cancelled.

According to a reply given to a Parliament question last week, 4,825 Indians had been sent to Israel under the India-Israel Agreement on Facilitation of the Temporary Employment of Indian Workers in Specific Labour Market Sectors in the State of Israel.

This was against an Israeli request for 10,000 workers specifically for the construction industry. The conflict apart, the work conditions in Israel are said to be on a par with other OECD countries — a grouping that includes most of the rich nations — making it a draw for migrant workers.

India has issued an even direr advisory on Lebanon. After warning against non-essential travel to Lebanon on Thursday morning and asking Indians in that country to be cautious and restrict their movements, the Indian mission in Beirut modified the advisory to ask all nationals to leave the country.