2 days ago
Students from Bengal wait it out in Israel
Kolkata: With the Iran-Israel conflict intensifying further, a section of students from Bengal in Israel is considering the possibility of leaving the country. The Indian Embassy, in an advisory, has already stated that those willing to exit Israel should take the route via Jordan.
Over the past seven days, Divya Mukhopadhyay, a researcher from Bandipur Colony, Khardah, spent sleepless nights at his university in Rehovot, Israel. Mukhopadhyay, who is pursuing post-doctoral research in plant pathology at the University of Jerusalem, went to Israel in 2022. While he is scheduled to complete his research by the end of this year, he now finds himself stranded in central Israel, amid sirens, missile alerts, and underground shelters.
"The sirens went off, and the mobile alert system warned them just in time to take shelter underground," said Shubhamoy Mukhopadhyay, Divya's uncle. "On Saturday, a missile landed barely a mile and a half from his residence. There were more sirens on Sunday and Monday. Even on Wednesday morning, they had to rush to safety again," he added. On Wednesday morning, officers from the Rahara police station visited Divya's family in Bandipur to check on their well-being.
As tensions continue to escalate in the region, families like Divya's are left hoping for a swift resolution and the safe return of their loved ones.
At Haifa, nearly 125 km from Rehovot, air raid sirens and missile alerts have become a grim part of daily life for the students of Bar Ilan University. "There was a drone attack by Iran on Wednesday morning. However, that was intercepted," said Nilabja Roychowdhury. Madhyamgram resident Roychowdhury is a research scholar with the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed.
Akash Panja, a resident of Ghatal who is pursuing research in medicinal chemistry at Ariel University, is, however, hoping that the situation might improve within a week. "My wife is also pursuing research in medicinal chemistry at the same university. We have decided not to leave the country at present. But I am hopeful that the situation will improve soon," he said.
