New Delhi: While the Middle East is engulfed in chaos and tensions, the Delhi Police has taken action to avoid any possible disruption of law and order in the national capital. The police reviewed the security of the Israeli embassy and Chabad House following alerts from the intelligence agencies in the wake of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran. Senior officers held a meeting over the matter, sources told news agency PTI.
The sources said officers held the meeting to plan a massive security net around the two Israeli buildings in the national capital amid threats of attacks. A senior officer said that multi-layered security has already been put in place with several CCTV cameras installed around both structures. More personnel may be deployed at the areas if required.
This came after the Delhi Police debunked rumours of an "explosion" at the embassy, calling it a hoax. The police said on X that it was a fake alert before deleting the post. Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Israel on Friday issued an advisory for the Indian nationals living in the country to stay vigilant and "adhere to safety protocols".
"In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols as advised by the local authorities. Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters," the Embassy of India in Israel posted on X.
In the past three years, two low-intensity blasts have taken place near the Israeli Embassy in the national capital. No one was injured in both attacks. Security around the Israeli embassy was upped after the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October last year.
Regionwide tensions have increased significantly following the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr. After that, Israel said Hamas' military chief Mohammad Deif was confirmed killed in an airstrike last month. These incidents are seen as a major victory for Israel's ten-month offensive against the Palestinian group and a critical blow for Iran and its proxies.
The suspected assassination by Israel of Hamas' Haniyeh in Iran on Wednesday and Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah's most senior military commander, in Beirut a few hours earlier increases the risk of a dangerous escalation in Israel's Gaza war and of a regional conflagration between Israel, Iran and its proxies. Israel is reportedly on 'high alert' to respond to any attack and has promised to exact a "heavy price" for any aggression.
Meanwhile, the United States said it will bolster defences in the Middle East by sending additional fighter jets and Navy warships in the region as Washington promised to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies following escalating tensions with the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran.
(with inputs from PTI)
