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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
What happened when missiles rained down in Israel: An account from Indians working there
On June 13, when Israel attacked Iran, the Indian embassy in Israel informed its citizens, many of them workers, on how to respond in case of an attack. 'If we were on the road, we had to lie down with both arms on the head; if we were on a bus, we had to stop and rush to the nearest bunker; and if we were at work, we had to rush to the basement,' said Basav Ram, a 30-year-old construction worker from Haryana's Jind. 'In our initial months, the Iron Dome (Israeli interceptor) was a wonder to us. We would gaze at the interceptions, but this time, it was a whole new ball game.' Ram, since he landed in Israel's Tel Aviv and moved to Netanya in April 2024, has seen the two countries attack each other over four times. However, this time, the attacks were more intense, he said. Around 6 am on June 13, his phone rang, warning him of an attack. 'First, we got a warning message, then an alarm rang, then a red alarm activated, which shut the phone off except for the blaring sound. The sirens from speakers outside accompanied this. We rushed to the bunker outside our building. Once inside, we were safe. Had buildings fallen on top of it, it would still not have collapsed,' he said. Ram rushed to such bunkers twenty times in the '12-day war', as US President Donald Trump calls it. From June 13 to 23, when a ceasefire was announced, Iran's ballistic missile attacks claimed 28 lives in Israel while Israel killed over 600 Iranians, including their top military brass. The Indian citizens in Israel include thousands employed by various companies through India's National Skill Development Corporation after it received a demand for 10,000 construction workers from Israel's Population and Immigration Authority for four roles — formwork, iron bending, plastering and ceramic tiling in November 2023, a month after Israel's attack on Gaza began. The NSDC has sent workers from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana so far under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement. Ram said he wanted to go home, but the embassy did not order an evacuation. 'I could not go individually because I could not get a vacation and was unsure of whether I would get a visa to re-enter if I left. Many of us from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Haryana were discussing this. Everyone was scared, but we were more scared to go. The contract was for five years, and we want to make a name for ourselves. We came with a dream, and I could not go before it was fulfilled,' Ram said. 'I was constantly thinking of my family when explosions were ringing out around us. Ghar, galiyaan, gaon, sab yaad aayi.' Whenever his employer gave them a day off, the message came with a sense of foreboding. 'It was an omen that the day ahead would see attacks. The defence system intercepted all the missiles, but the explosions left us terrified. When my mother called worried, I would tell her the visuals broadcast by Indian media were fake,' he said. Ram said he will go home for a month this year and hopes to get married before returning. 'After the contract ends, I will go back and give the CET (common eligibility test for group C jobs). With a job at home, things will be immensely better. By then, I would have saved enough to sustain my family till I secure a posting,' he said. Currently, he earns around Rs 1.2 lakh a month, of which around 1 lakh is sent home every month. 'I can't leave my parents to poverty at this age,' Ram said. Gurdeep from Haryana, who lives in Lod, 15 km away from Jerusalem, said the surveillance during the war was scaled up. 'A few Indian labourers posted videos of the attack on social media. Soon, the embassy informed us not to take videos. They said action will be initiated against us. Every conversation and message is documented, even this call over WhatsApp,' he claimed. Gurdeep had left Jind for a construction job, which was terminated after three months. 'I was moved to the bakery by the same contractor, so the agreement remained the same,' he said. While the war waged, Gurdeep could not get a day off. 'If the siren went off, we would rush to the bunker under the bakery,' he said. His day shift is from 6 am to 6 pm, while the night shift is from 6 pm to 6 am, which he alternates between every week. 'When the sight of a truce was not near, I made sure my wife knew nothing about the attacks. I told my brothers to keep her away from the news,' he said. The last attacks in 2024 had left the family petrified, he said. Another labourer, on condition of anonymity, claimed they have been asked not to respond to posts of Palestinians on social media. 'We cannot be seen sharing or even interacting with content on Gaza. We rarely see any posts, and if we do, we have to ignore them. The embassy has also warned us of this,' he claimed. Shankar Dayal, who went to Israel in June 2024, said that although he was selected for tiling work at a construction site, he was placed on a road brick-laying stint. 'Several people have to leave because of this, and I have been shuttling between different jobs ever since,' he said. Dayal said long hours and heavy labour made him reconsider his decision. 'I want to go back to India. Jhagda chal raha hai yahan baar baar. Sabko jaan pyaari hai. If I had a better job, I would have been able to endure it better,' he said. Aiswarya Raj is a correspondent with The Indian Express who covers South Haryana. An alumna of Asian College of Journalism and the University of Kerala, she started her career at The Indian Express as a sub-editor in the Delhi city team. In her current position, she reports from Gurgaon and covers the neighbouring districts. She likes to tell stories of people and hopes to find moorings in narrative journalism. ... Read More
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Israel extends foreign workers' visas amid ongoing missile strikes and airport shutdown
Live Events Israel's Population and Immigration Authority has announced an automatic extension of visas for all foreigners legally residing in the country as of June 12, 2025. The decision was made in light of the ongoing conflict and suspension of outbound passenger extension is valid through September 30, country's main international airport in Tel Aviv remains closed to passenger traffic after Israel launched a military operation last week. Since Friday, Iran has fired over 400 ballistic missiles at Israel, with a significant number aimed at Tel Aviv. At least 24 people have died in the continued closure of Ben Gurion Airport has left approximately 40,000 tourists stranded. No commercial passenger flights are currently departing Israel. El Al, the country's national carrier, has cancelled all scheduled flights until June 23.(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)According to Israeli authorities, the visa extension measure is intended to ease uncertainty for foreign nationals during this period of were reported in Tehran early Wednesday as Israeli airstrikes resumed over the Iranian capital, intensifying a conflict that has already claimed hundreds of lives across Iran. According to a human rights organization monitoring the situation, at least 585 people have been killed and 1,326 injured nationwide in government, which has not been issuing frequent updates, last reported on Monday that 224 people had died and 1,277 had been wounded. The current figures from independent sources indicate a significant rise in response to Israel's continued air campaign, Iran has fired around 400 ballistic missiles and launched hundreds of drones toward Israeli territory. The Israeli government has confirmed 24 deaths from these strikes so fighting, which has disrupted commercial air traffic and strained regional security, shows no sign of easing. Israeli air operations appear to be focused on strategic and military targets in Tehran and surrounding areas.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Israeli police arrest three Palestinians working without permits
Representative Image (AI-generated) Israeli authorities during a recent enforcement operation in the Central and Jerusalem areas conducted a surprise inspection. They found three Palestinians without legal permits working in the city of Rehovot. They were discovered working in the kitchen of a local restaurant. An investigation has been launched against the employer for illegal employment that constitutes as a criminal offense. Population and Immigration Authority , the Israeli government agency responsible for handling illegal migration, has warned that employing foreigners without valid visas is against the law. It said such cases will lead to official investigations. Earlier on October 8, 2024, Israeli police arrested 43 illegal residents in the city of Jaffa during a routine inspection. The individuals, believed to be from Palestinian areas, were found working and residing without valid permits. Authorities said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to enforce immigration laws and maintain public safety. Police stressed that contractors and citizens who employ or provide housing to Palestinians without valid residence or work permits not only break the law but also endanger public safety.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
British tourist to be deported from Israel
A British tourist is facing deportation from Israel after allegedly entering a closed military area and threatening security forces, Israeli authorities say. Janet Adyeri, 35, who was named by Israeli media, was detained in the Southern Hebron Hills area in the occupied West Bank on Monday. After being questioned she was found to have posted anti-Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sentiments on social media and to belong to an organisation calling for the boycott of Israel, police said. Israel's immigration authority said Adyeri would be kept in a detention centre, and is expected to be deported within the next 24 hours. According to Israeli police, Adyeri "violated public order by refusing to identify herself to the forces and threatening a settlement security coordinator". Following an investigation at the Central Unit of Judea and Samaria, Ayderi was brought before a judge, police said. Adyeri's lawyer Riham Nasra said her client was not interrogated about her social media posts or making threats. She told Israeli media she was only "questioned regarding her entry into a closed military zone, and that's it." Nasra said added Adyeri only refused to identify herself when asked by a plainclothes soldier. She presented identification to uniformed soldiers later on. According to Israeli media, Nasra disputes Adyeri was brought before a judge, as police claimed. She was taken straight to a hearing at the Population and Immigration Authority in Ramle, where her deportation was decided upon, Nasra said. The BBC has contacted the UK Foreign Office for comment. After the incident, Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said anyone "who acts against the State of Israel will find an aggressive police presence. The games are over," in a post on X. Last month, two Labour MPs were denied entry to Israel while on a trip to the occupied West Bank. Israel's population and immigration authority said this was because they intended to "spread hate speech".
Express Tribune
07-03-2025
- Express Tribune
10 missing Indian workers found and rescued in West Bank after being held for over a month
Listen to article Ten Indian workers, who were initially recruited for construction jobs in Israel, were rescued in a coordinated overnight operation by Israeli authorities from a Palestinian village in the West Bank. The workers had been held for more than a month after their passports were taken. According to Israeli authorities, the workers were promised employment in the West Bank village of al-Zaayem. However, once they arrived, their passports were confiscated, and there were attempts to use them for easier passage through Israeli checkpoints. The Indian embassy in Israel confirmed the rescue in a statement on X, saying: "Israeli authorities traced 10 missing Indian construction workers to the West Bank and have brought them back to Israel. While the matter is still under investigation, the embassy is in touch with Israeli authorities and has requested to ensure their safety and well-being." The rescue operation was carried out by the Population and Immigration Authority, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and the Justice Ministry. After being freed, the workers were moved to a secure location for further evaluation of their employment status. The IDF claims that the workers' passports had been fraudulently used at Israeli checkpoints. The passports were later returned to their rightful owners. The workers, who had originally come to Israel for construction jobs, were part of a larger influx of foreign workers filling a labour shortage in the country's construction sector. The recruitment drive saw nearly 16,000 Indian workers arriving in Israel over the past year to help fill this gap. Thousands of Indians are flocking to recruitment centres in search of jobs in Israel, despite the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, with many willing to take the risk of working in a war zone despite ethical concerns. The recruitment drive, which began in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, aimed at filling over 5,000 construction positions in Israel, where the economy faces a labour shortage exacerbated by the conflict. The applicants, mostly skilled construction workers, are hopeful that these jobs will offer better wages than those available in India. A construction worker from Lucknow, told that he could earn up to $1,600 a month in Israel, compared to the $360 to $420 he might make in India. "I am going there for my children," said Singh, acknowledging the risks but stating the lack of job opportunities in India was a driving factor. The recruitment drive comes after Israel requested more foreign workers, with India agreeing to send skilled labourers as part of a broader labour agreement signed last year. Under the agreement, up to 40,000 Indian workers will be allowed to take jobs in Israel's construction and nursing sectors. Despite the ongoing conflict, many Indian workers are still eager to apply, seeing the opportunity as a potential life-changer. However, some have raised concerns about security, with one applicant saying that he was questioned about his motivations for taking the job in a country at war. "What should I do? I am unemployed," he responded. The recruitment process is overseen by a 15-member Israeli team, who are working with Indian authorities to ensure the smooth recruitment of workers. The Israeli government is expected to hire thousands of workers for various roles, which they hope will ease the labour shortage caused by the ongoing war.
