Middle East Alert For Indians As Iran-Israel Tensions Escalate

Tensions have escalated in the Middle East after Iran and the groups it supports vowed revenge for the killing of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. Israel killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on Tuesday, a move it said was a response to deadly rocket fire last week on the annexed Golan Heights. Hours later, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in the Iranian capital, while Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur died in a strike in Lebanon in quick succession last month. The killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders are the latest of several major incidents that have inflamed regional tensions during the Gaza war which has drawn in Iran-backed groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. This escalation has prompted India and several other countries to tread with caution in the region. Indian nationals in Israel have been asked to stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols following the escalating tension in the region.

The advisory for the Indian citizens in Israel comes a day after the Indian Embassy in Beirut strongly advised Indian nationals against travelling to Lebanon till further notice. It also advised them to leave Lebanon. Air India yesterday also suspended its flights to and from Israel's Tel Aviv with immediate effect till August 8. US President Joe Biden said late Thursday he was "very concerned" about rising tensions in the region, adding that the killing of Haniyeh had "not helped" the situation. Sources close to Hezbollah said that Iranian officials met in Tehran on Wednesday with representatives of the so-called "axis of resistance", a loose alliance of Tehran-backed groups hostile to Israel, to discuss their next steps. "Two scenarios were discussed: a simultaneous response from Iran and its allies or a staggered response from each party," said the source who had been briefed on the meeting, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Israel, which said Shukr's assassination was a response to deadly rocket fire last week on the annexed Golan Heights, warned its adversaries they would "pay a very high price" for any "aggression". "Israel is at a very high level of preparation for any scenario, both defensive and offensive," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.