The group of 27 people from Meghalaya including Rajya Sabha MP Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi, who were stranded in Israel, has crossed over the Israeli border into Egypt today.
This was informed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sangma wrote, “As per the latest information and through the efforts of MEA and our Indian mission, our 27 citizens from Meghalaya, who were stuck in the war conflict zone of Israel and Palestine have safely crossed the border into Egypt.”
Caught in the midst of the sudden attack by Palestinian group Hamas against various targets in Israel yesterday, the 27 pilgrims from Meghalaya found themselves stranded in Bethlehem, ten kilometers south of Jerusalem.
The group which included Kharlukhi, his wife and daughter were on a visit to various Christian pilgrimage sites in Israel.
They traveled to Jerusalem for a pilgrimage but were stuck in Bethlehem due to the escalating violence.
Today they left Bethlehem and travelled to Egypt’s capital Cairo before returning to India.
The Meghalaya government has been working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate the safe passage of the 27 citizens.
Every year scores of people from Meghalaya visit Israel on private or packaged tours to visit the various pilgrimage sites in the West Asian country which included Via Dolorosa, Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Mount Zion (all in Jerusalem) , the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem where Jesus was born, and Jordan River where Jesus was baptised.
However, this is the first time that people from the State are caught in the midst of a bloody conflict in Israel.
Meanwhile, in view of the ongoing situation, the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel has issued an advisory for Indians stuck in Israel.
“In view of the current situation in Israel, all Indian nationals in Israel are requested to remain vigilant and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities. Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary movement, and stay close to safety shelters,” the Indian Embassy said in its advisory.
The advisory included relevant phone numbers for emergencies and links to the Israeli Home Front Command’s preparedness brochures.
