Israel-Hamas War: 38 pilgrims from Kerala stranded in Bethlehem

A pilgrimage group consisting of 38 members from Kerala is stranded in Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war. The group was trapped in Bethlehem.

The tour operator, Manu, said that there was no problem for the first three days. The problem started on Saturday evening. As the border and the airports are blocked, there is no chance to move anywhere. They had contacted the Indian Embassy and Tourism Department there.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the evacuation process for Indians from Iraq will be conducted soon. The ministry has warned people to avoid going out and travelling as much as possible. The air force and navy will be alerted.

At the same time, a nurse from Kerala was injured in a missile attack in Israel while taking a call with her husband. Sheeja Anand, a native of Kannur Sreekandapuram, sustained injuries to her hands, legs, and stomach in the attack.

The incident happened around Saturday (Oct. 7) afternoon. At this time, she was talking with her husband on a video call. Sheeja had told her husband that she was hearing a loud noise outside. The phone call suddenly disconnected, and later, when the husband tried to call her back and he was unable to reach her.

The death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has tragically surpassed 1100 as the Israeli Defence Forces launched a major counter-offensive on Gaza following the blitzkrieg attack launched by Hamas on Saturday. At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel while in Gaza over 400 deaths have been reported. 

Israeli forces remain engaged in intense battles with Hamas fighters as they work to clear out communities along the border, uncovering more Israeli casualties in the process. Shockingly, over 2,100 people in Israel have already suffered injuries during this devastating crisis.