27 Meghalaya Pilgrims Stranded In Israel, Palestine Conflict Zone Evacuated To Egypt: CM Sangma

27 people from Meghalaya, who were stuck in the war conflict zone of Israel and Palestine, have safely crossed the border into Egypt, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma informed.

File Photo of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma

Guwahati: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Sunday informed that the 27 pilgrims from the northeastern state, who were stranded in the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, have been safely evacuated to Egypt.

“As per the latest information and through the efforts of MEA and our Indian mission, our 27 citizens from Meghalaya, who were stuck in the war conflict zone of Israel and Palestine have safely crossed the border into Egypt,” Chief Minister Sangma said in a post on X, previously known as Twitter.

As per the latest information and through the efforts of MEA and our Indian mission, our 27 citizens from Meghalaya, who were stuck in the war conflict zone of Israel and Palestine have safely crossed the border into Egypt@DrSJaishankar @MEAIndia

— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) October 8, 2023

Earlier on Saturday, Chief Minister Sangma informed that 27 people from the hill state, who went to Jerusalem for pilgrimage, are stranded in Bethlehem due to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Sangma said that he has sought help from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to bring all the people back to the state.

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from Meghalaya Wanweiroy Kharlukhi, his wife, and daughter are reportedly part of the pilgrimage team from the state.

In a grim escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict, it has been reported that over 600 people have lost their lives in Israel, marking a catastrophic toll not witnessed in the country for decades, as per news agency Associated Press. Simultaneously, more than 300 lives have been tragically claimed in Gaza.

The situation has rapidly deteriorated, with Israeli soldiers engaged in fierce battles against Hamas fighters within the streets of southern Israel. The Israeli military has also responded with retaliatory strikes that have resulted in the leveling of numerous buildings in Gaza.

The intensity of the conflict escalated further when, in northern Israel, a brief exchange of strikes occurred with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. This exchange has raised apprehensions of a potential expansion of the conflict into a broader and more devastating regional crisis, AP reported.

The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.

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