KOCHI: For the five Keralites who were on the first flight from Israel, operated as part of ‘Operation Ajay’, their return had more to do with the concerns of families than fears for their own safety. “Things are not very bad in Israel. Every foreign national is safe,” they told reporters, on their arrival at Kochi airport.
Nila Nanda, from Palakkad, said she did not plan to return, despite Israel’s plans to escalate its offensive in Gaza. “I came back after my family urged me to. I wanted to alleviate the fear that they had regarding my safety,” she said. As of now, the conflict is confined to the districts bordering Gaza, she added. A student of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Nila lived in Be’er-Sheva, in southern Israel.
Kollam native Gopika Shibu echoed the sentiment. “I would have remained on my university campus. We had just one or two instances of rocket sirens going off. Otherwise, everything was calm and quiet like on a normal day,” said Gopika, who is doing her master’s in agriculture at the same university. “I joined the course last October and have been living on the campus since. The people there are friendly and the quality of education is excellent,” she noted.
Gopika said she would return to complete her course once the conflict cools off. “I want to continue my academic journey in Israel and join the doctoral programme of my alma mater,” she said. According to her, five more students will be on the next flight out of Tel Aviv. “There are many more Malayali students on the main campus of Ben Gurion University,” she added.
Air India flight 831 carrying five of the seven Malayalis who were part of the first evacuation flight reached Kochi airport at 2.25pm. According to Kerala House officials, the other two made their own travel arrangements. The first ‘Operation Ajay’ flight, with 212 Indians, touched down in New Delhi early on Friday.
OPERATION AJAY: SECOND FLIGHT TO LAND ON SATURDAY
T’Puram: The second flight under Operation Ajay, carrying Indian nationals from conflict-hit Israel, will land at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, at 5.30 am on Saturday. As per information from the Centre, 16 Keralites will be on the flight, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) informed. As many as 20 Keralites, who intend to return to the state, have registered with the Kerala House website, the CMO said.