A couple who travelled all the way to Israel to meet their daughter gets stuck in the warzone. Vijayakumar, aged 64, and his wife Usha Devi, aged 59, find themselves in a unique blend of relief and tension. They travelled from Thiruvananthapuram to Israel last month to visit their daughter, Anagha, who is pursuing her PhD at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv. Even though the family is relieved that they are with their daughter, they have caught themselves up in a dire situation as they are now stuck in the midst of a war zone.

Speaking of the situation in the country, the tranquillity of their neighbourhood was disrupted when Palestinian militant groups initiated aerial attacks on Israel over the weekend. The couple, along with their daughter’s classmate Manoj Shanmugasundaram, had gone out on Monday to purchase medications. Vijayakumar, who has high blood pressure and a prostate issue, narrated the incident from a bomb shelter in Tel Aviv, “We were at a bus stop when the sirens began to blare,” as cited by TOI’s report. They sought refuge in an apartment complex, but the gates were locked. “There was no one around, and we waited in the corridor for some time before returning to the university where we were staying with our daughter,” added Usha. “The university gates were also locked, and security personnel had taken shelter in the bomb shelter. We contacted security and waited outside, listening to the explosions. Those were tense moments.”

The couple’s original plan was to return to India on Sunday, but due to Air India cancelling its flights, they became stranded in Israel. Usha Rani expressed, “Here, the streets are empty. We have seen such attacks on television, but this is the first time we are experiencing it in real life. Our daughter is distraught, worrying about our safety.”

Vijayakumar is in urgent need of medication, but he mentioned, “Unlike in India, obtaining medication here is challenging. When I contacted the Indian embassy, the response was poor because they were also in bunkers. It would be greatly appreciated if an Indian association in Israel could help me obtain the necessary medicines,” he appealed. Manoj Shanmugasundaram, who shares the shelter with Anagha’s family, described how the neighbourhood remained peaceful until Sunday, but the attacks began on Monday, leaving everyone shaken.

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