115 Indians Stranded In Israel Return Home Through The “Vande Bharat Mission”

A total of 115 Indian citizens were expatriated to India on Tuesday on an Air India flight from Ben-Gurion Airport after being stranded in Israel for over two months due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

The flight was arranged as part of the Indian government’s “Vande Bharat Mission,” which was launched at the beginning of the month to assist Indian citizens stranded around the world to return home.

The staff of the Indian Embassy in Israel handed out gloves and masks to the departing passengers, who included former caregivers and students, as they boarded the flight. Five Israeli diplomats serving in Delhi also boarded the flight.

“These are very challenging times and the Vande Bharat Mission flight to India is one of our many efforts to reach out to our community of students and caregivers here in Israel,” India”s ambassador to Israel, Sanjeev Singla, said.

The Indian government has already evacuated 6,527 Indians from numerous countries through the mission, including the US, the UK, Malaysia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, the Maldives, and other countries in the Middle East.

In other India-related news, India and Israel are partnering to develop a rapid COVID-19 test, Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday.