New Delhi: Israel issues ‘advisory alert’ to its nationals after bomb explodes near embassy

In the wake of the recent explosion near the Embassy of Israel in New Delhi on December 26, 2023, the Israeli National Security Council issued an advisory for its citizens in India. No one was injured in the blast that occurred near the Israeli Embassy in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave in New Delhi on the evening of the same day.

The Israeli National Council also said that the explosion could be a terror attack a news agency reported. “We can confirm that around 5:48 PM, there was a blast in close proximity to the embassy. The Delhi Police and the security team are still investigating the situation,” the spokesperson of the Israeli Embassy Guy Nir was quoted by a news agency.

Advisory

According to the Israeli National Security Council, Israeli nationals have been warned to try to avoid going to crowded places  (malls and markets) and places identified as serving Westerners and Jews/Israelis. They have been urged to be on a heightened alert in public places including restaurants, hotels, pubs, etc.

The recommendations also suggest avoiding openly displaying symbols related to Israel, refraining from attending unsecured large-scale events, and avoiding itineraries on social media as well as photographs and details of the visits in real-time.

Blast Near Israeli Embassy

After the explosion, which took place in a green belt area outside the Central Hindi Training Institute located near the embassy, the teams of the Delhi Police Special Cell, Bomb Disposal Squad, and fire department rushed to the spot. A three-hour-long search operation was carried out in the area.

A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also examined the site, a senior police officer in New Delhi said. Meanwhile, security was strengthened and tightened in the area around the embassy and other Israeli establishments, officials said.

Commenting on the incident, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, in a press statement earlier on December 26, 2023, said that there were no casualties in the explosion. “The Incident is under investigation by the local authorities in full cooperation with the Israeli security forces,” the ministry said. A letter covered in the Israeli flag was also found at the site and it was addressed to the Israeli Ambassador (High Commissioner) who lived in an embassy.

Previous Incidents

In the past, the Israeli embassy was targeted several times. In 2021, there was an explosion outside the Israeli Embassy in which cars and other property were damaged but there were no civilian casualties reported. In February 2012, the wife of an Israeli security staff at the embassy was injured in an attack on her in New Delhi. In the Mumbai terror attacks, the terrorists including Ajmal Kasab deliberately targeted Nariman House, a locality in Mumbai where a large number of Jews and Israelis were housed. This was done deliberately to spoil relations between India and Israel.