Israel issues travel advisory for India after blast near embassy in Delhi: ‘Possible terror attack’

Travel advisory urged Israeli citizens in India to be on ‘heightened alert in public places’

Israel embassy officials and members of the security forces check the area, following a reported explosion nearby, in New Delhi, India (REUTERS)

Israel has issued a travel warning for its citizens in India after a low-intensity blast near its embassy in Delhi sparked suspicion over a terror attack amid its war against Hamas in Gaza.

A blast was reported on Tuesday evening near Israel’s embassy in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri area.

No one was injured in the incident. But an “abusive” letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador was found near the site of the blast, officials said.

Israel’s national security council on Tuesday said an “IED exploded today near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi in a possible terrorist attack”.

Issuing a travel advisory, it urged Israeli citizens in India to avoid crowded places like malls and markets and to skip large-scale events amid Christmas festivities in the capital.

It said there was “a fear of a recurrence of the events” and urged citizens to be on “heightened alert in public places”.

It also recommended that Israeli citizens avoid openly displaying Israeli symbols and publicising itineraries, photographs and details on social media.

Delhi police have launched an investigation into the incident, Israeli embassy spokesperson Guy Nir said.

Police personnel conduct an investigation after an alleged explosion took place near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi (AFP via Getty Images)

“We can confirm that around 5.48pm (local time), there was a blast in close proximity to the embassy. Delhi Police and the security team are still investigating the situation. The recommendations of the Israeli National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday, which come amid concerns of a recurrence of events, apply especially to New Delhi,” he said.

Videos from outside the Israeli embassy in Delhi showed forensic teams and a dog squad of the counter-terrorism unit, National Security Guard, at the spot as the capital remained blanketed with a mix of fog and smog.

After examining the CCTV footage, Delhi police reportedly believe that there could be two suspects involved. The letter that was addressed to the Israeli ambassador was signed under the name Sir Allah Resistance, police sources said.

The Independent has reached out to Israel’s embassy in New Delhi for comment.

Police officials gather outside the Israeli embassy, following a reported explosion nearby, in New Delhi (REUTERS)

Israeli missions around the world have been put on high alert amid the rise in antisemitic attacks since Israel launched a war in Gaza in its efforts to crush Hamas militants.

The war that began in October has devastated large parts of Gaza, killing more than 20,400 Palestinians, mostly children and women, and displaced almost all of the territory’s 2.3 million people.

Israel said it launched the counter-offensive after the 7 October attack by Hamas that caught Israeli forces off guard.

It is not the first time Israel has raised suspicion over the possibility of a terrorist attack.

In January 2021, a small bomb went off near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. No one was injured in the incident and an Israeli official said at the time that Israel was treating the blast as a terrorist incident.