A wave of fear swept through Israel when 180 ballistic missiles were launched by Iran on Tuesday night. For the Teluguspeaking community in Israel, including nearly 800 people from Telangana and 4,000 from Andhra Pradesh, the night unfolded with the same terrifying intensity as they, too, faced a harrowing experience.Speaking to this daily, B Mahesh Goud, former president of the Israel Telangana Association (ITA), said the people had to rush to the underground safety shelters/bunkers multiple times."I was relaxing after finishing my work when sirens started blaring around 8 pm. Many missiles struck nearby, with one hitting a shopping complex just half a kilometre from my safety bunker," Goud said.He noted that the night was more serious than the previous emergencies he had faced during his long residency in Israel."Normally, we rush to bunkers and come out within minutes when the situation normalises.But this time, we were compelled to seek shelter at least three times, with missiles flying every 10 minutes. It was a powerful attack." According to Soma Ravi, president of ITA, nearly 5,000 people from the Telugu-states reside in Israel, with the majority from Telangana hailing from Nizamabad and Jagtial districts. Most work as professional caregivers, earning between ₹5,000 and 6,000 shekels (around 1 lakh to 1.35 lakh) monthly. They reside in Ramat Gan and various neighbourhoods around Tel Aviv, with a smaller group in Ashkelon, approximately 60 km away.Ravi described the atmosphere on Tuesday night as tense, as it was the first time that missiles had targeted the city. "Israeli security forces sent mobile alerts, and sirens blared, warning residents to take cover," he explained. Gatherings outside were restricted to just 30 people, he added. C Prashanth, a Nizamabad native living in Tel Aviv for six years, told TNIE that the critical situation persisted until midnight."Many residents found it tough in my apartment as we have only one safety bunker. For families with children, the elderly, and pregnant women, it was especially challenging.Some had to sleep in the shelters all night," he recounted, emphasising that while the situation appeared to improve on Wednesday afternoon, uncertainty loomed as evening approached.The bunkers are usually half or three-fourth the size of a kabaddi court. "They cannot be penetrated even if a missile hits them directly. The government here has made it mandatory that all the houses have bunkers either inside a house or underground," Ravi noted.

Missiles flying every 10 minutes: T'gana natives

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