'Avoid non-essential...': India's advisory amid escalating Iran-Israel tensions

In light of the escalating Iran-Israel tensions, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a travel advisory for Indian citizens. Indians have been asked to avoid travelling to Iran after they launched a massive missile attack on Israel while those already present in the country have been asked to stay vigilant.

"Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country, and stay near safety shelters. The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and is in regular contact with Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals," the embassy stated in its advisory.

"In case of any emergency, please contact the 24/7 helpline of the Embassy:Telephone:A. +972-547520711B. +972-543278392 Email: consi.telaviv@mea.gov.in. Those Indian nationals who have yet to register with the Embassy are requested to do so at the following link: https://forms.gle/ftp3DEXgJwH8XVRdA," the Indian Embassy posted on X.

On Tuesday, in a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Iran launched a missile attack on Israel. In a statement, the IDF reported that all Israeli civilians are currently in bomb shelters as rockets are being fired from Iran towards Israel.

The IDF also noted that Hezbollah is retaliating after their plans to massacre Israeli civilians were exposed, launching a barrage of rockets at innocent civilians. According to the Jerusalem Post, 102 missiles have been fired at Israel, with sirens continuing to sound across the country, as reported by the Times of Israel.

The IDF stated that approximately 10 million civilians are being targeted by Iranian projectiles.Earlier in the day, the IDF initiated limited, localised, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. 

These targets, situated in villages near the border, pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel. The IDF noted that these operations are part of a carefully planned strategy developed by the General Staff and the Northern Command, for which IDF soldiers have been training over recent months.

The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are providing support to the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area. The IDF stated that these operations have been approved and are being carried out in accordance with the political echelon's decision.Operation "Northern Arrows" will continue based on the situational assessment and in parallel with combat operations in Gaza and other arenas, the IDF added.

This escalation follows Israel's recent decisive strike against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, which resulted in the killing of Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike. Earlier in July, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was also killed in Tehran. Iran had vowed retaliation in both instances. 

(with inputs from ANI)