Just after the explosion near the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday, the Israeli National Security Council issued a travel advisory for its citizens in India. The council said the blast could have been a "possible terror attack".
The low-intensity blast happened around 5:48 pm near the embassy in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave. Israeli embassy spokesperson Guy Nir confirmed the blast, stating that the "Delhi Police and the security team are still investigating the situation." No one was injured in the blast.
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. Israeli nationals have been warned to try to avoid going to crowded places (malls and markets) and places identified as serving Westerners/Jews and Israelis. They have also been urged to be on heightened alert in public places (including restaurants, hotels, pubs, etc).
The recommendations also suggest avoiding openly displaying Israeli symbols, refraining from attending unsecured large-scale events, and avoiding publicising itineraries on social media as well as photographs and details of visits in real time.
Since the war began, the NSC warned Israelis to reconsider all their travel abroad and called on those who do need to travel overseas to avoid outward displays of their Jewish and Israeli identities. This came amid rising anti-Semitism around the world.
The blast is being investigated by the Delhi Police which rushed to the spot with its bomb disposal squad and fire department. A letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador was found while the officials combed through the area.
They also found a flag wrapped with the letter. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team also examined the site, a senior police officer in New Delhi said.
Security has been beefed up around the embassy and other Israeli establishments.
This isn't the first security threat to the Israel embassy. In 2021, there was an explosion outside the Israeli embassy. Investigating officials had claimed that the attack was out by the Quds Force branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the bomb was planted by a local Indian Shia module.
In February 2012, the wife of the Israeli military attaché was injured in a car bomb attack in New Delhi.
