Evacuees from war-hit Israel land in Kolkata; Survivor recalls missile horror

A group of Indian citizens evacuated from conflict-hit Israel arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday evening. They had earlier landed in Delhi before boarding Air India flight AI-2737, which reached Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 6:12 PM. A total of around 140 Indians were among the evacuees, including five to six people from West Bengal.

Kamal Biswas, a construction worker from Nadia district who was among the returnees, said he had been working in Israel for a year. He described life under missile attacks since October last year. “Nearly 15 missiles struck in a single day. Every time the siren wailed, we’d drop everything and run to shelters,” he said. Since June, amid fresh hostilities, the situation worsened. “Food and sleep were forgotten — only survival mattered,” he added. He mentioned that most evacuees were students and he was the only one engaged in construction work.

Biswas stated that the group was initially scheduled to return via Qatar, but after a missile strike on Qatar, the route was changed. “We were rerouted through Jordan. The Indian Air Force flew us back,” he said. He also noted that the Israeli government advised them to stay safe throughout their stay. “The Israeli government never treated us badly — only advised us to stay safe. I won’t return now, but if peace prevails, perhaps one day I will,” he said.