As missiles fly, Telangana natives in Israel on edge

Hyderabad: Migrant workers from Telangana living in Israel have lived through many periods of heightened security in the past few years, occasionally having to rush into bomb shelters as a precaution. But the latest conflict with Iran has left them unnerved. There is a certain edginess in the air which they have not experienced before even as the usual sirens are sounded and alerts are circulated on social media by Israeli authorities.According to members of the Israel Telangana Association (ITA), around 7,000 people from the Telugu states currently live in Israel. Some 2,000 are from Telangana while the remaining are from Andhra Pradesh. A majority of those from Telangana hail from Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla and Jagtial districts. Most are employed as professional caregivers and construction workers, earning between 6,000 and 6,500 shekels (approximately ₹1.35 lakh to ₹1.50 lakh) every month.
Under a 2022 bilateral framework agreement, over 20,000 Indians currently work in the construction sector in Israel, with 6,700 of them arriving in 2025, to fill labour shortages following the Gaza conflict. Their roles focus on scaffolding, iron bending, and tiling works. Another 18,000 to 20,000 are employed as caregivers due to the growing elderly population in Israel. Many Telangana natives live in Ramat Gan and neighbourhoods around Tel Aviv, while a smaller group resides in Ashkelon, about 60 km away.Soma Ravi, former ITA president and a native of Nizamabad, described the atmosphere over the weekend as tense, with residents exercising greater caution than before. Staying in Ramat Gan for about 20 years now, Ravi said a missile landed only a couple of km from his residence on Saturday evening."Earlier escalations were usually from militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. This time it involves a powerful country like Iran launching ballistic missiles, so people are more worried and extra careful," he said. Ravi, who was scheduled to fly to the US on Tuesday for his daughter's wedding on March 15, is now stranded as the airspace is shut.Residents said essential services such as supermarkets and pharmacies remain open, while offices, schools and shopping malls are closed. Outdoor gatherings are restricted to 30 people, while most bunkers can accommodate about 50 to 60 persons.Gattu Naveen, a construction worker from Nizamabad who has lived in Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv for 2 years, said sirens sound immediately after missile alerts are issued."As soon as a missile is launched, the siren goes off and we are asked to move to bunkers immediately. Separate local alarms also ring. For families with children, the elderly and pregnant women, repeatedly moving back and forth can be challenging," he said.Elle Prasad, a native of Rajanna Sircilla who has worked in Ashkelon for 18 years, said residents expected tensions to rise but did not anticipate the situation would escalate so quickly. "Vehicle movement is limited and people are stepping out only for essential work," he added. Residents said they were in regular touch with the Indian embassy, which advised them to remain vigilant and exercise caution.