Was the blast at the Israel embassy in Delhi an act of ‘revenge’ for the Gaza war?

The calm Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave in New Delhi was shaken on Tuesday evening when a blast took place in the area, right near the Israeli embassy. Officials from the embassy stated that no one had been hurt in the blast, with embassy spokesman Guy Nir saying staff heard the explosion from within the building. Shortly after the explosion, the Israeli National Security Council issued a travel advisory for its citizens in India, suspecting that the explosion near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday was “a possible terror attack”. As investigations continue into the explosion, here’s what we know so far. Low-intensity blast near embassy A low-intensity blast was heard near the Israel embassy in the high-security area on Tuesday evening, sending security personnel into a tizzy. Israel’s deputy chief of mission, Ohad Nakash Kaynar was quoted as saying after the blast, “This evening, several minutes after 5 pm, an explosion occurred in close proximity to the embassy. All our workers are safe, all our diplomats are safe. Our security teams are working in full cooperation with the local Delhi security, and they will investigate the matter further.”

An eyewitness later told LiveMint, “This happened around 5 pm. I was on my duty and heard a loud sound, similar to that of a bursting tyre.” “When I came out, I saw smoke coming from the top of a tree. That’s all I saw.”

The blast prompted security officials to rush to the spot – the dog squad, crime team and bomb disposal squad team of the Delhi Police arrived at the scene of the explosion and began its investigations. In fact, Delhi Police spokesperson Kumar Gyanesh said senior officers of the force rushed to the Israel Embassy after the police was alerted at 5.53 pm about a loud sound heard from the Prithviraj Road side of the embassy. [caption id=“attachment_13548802” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Security officials from the Delhi Police as well as the NIA rushed to the Embassy of Israel after news broke of a blast at the site. PTI[/caption] He added that the investigation was still on and as procedure they had examined the spot, lifted exhibits that may have evidentiary relevance and the same have been sent for forensic examination. A police official, who did not want to be identified, has said that no shrapnel or lethal material was found in the area, suggesting it could have been a loud cracker used to draw attention and sound a warning. Also read: India sounds alert for Israelis amid war: How safe has the country been for Jews? Notably, during investigations at the site of the blast, authorities recovered a letter, which had been addressed to the Ambassador of the Israeli Embassy, wrapped in an Israeli flag. While the contents of the letter haven’t been fully revealed, the police said that the one-page English letter was of an “abusive” nature. An India Today report later quoting sources said that the letter talks about Israel’s actions in Gaza and mentions ‘revenge’. The blast comes at a time when the Israel-Hamas war has entered Day 82 and fierce bombardment of the Gaza Strip continues. The war has already claimed the lives of nearly 21,000 people and injured another 55,000. When asked if they suspected anyone for the attack, a Delhi Police source told The Print, “We suspect involvement of one or two individuals. We are scanning footage from CCTV cameras and analysing [mobile phone] tower dump data from the area of the embassy.” [caption id=“attachment_13548812” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The low-intensity blast didn’t cause any harm or injuries. But officials are continuing to investigate the incident. PTI[/caption] Not the first time This isn’t the first time that the Israeli embassy has witnessed a blast. In January 2021, a low-intensity blast had rung out near the Israeli embassy. The explosion, fortunately, had caused no fatalities. However, the IED used in the blast had left a crater in the road and damaged three cars parked in the vicinity. Authorities at the time had said that the attack was carried out by the Quds Force branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Moreover, in February 2012, an unidentified motorcyclist had placed a “sticky bomb” on an Israeli embassy Toyota Innova car, injuring the official and driver who were in the vehicle. The police at the time had concluded that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps was behind the bombing. Fallout of the blast Shortly after the explosion, Israel issued a travel advisory for its citizens in India. The advisory urges nationals to try and 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). Furthermore, they have been asked to avoid openly displaying Israeli symbols and avoid attending unsecured large-scale events. After the incident, security has also been beefed up around the embassy and other Israeli establishments, according to officials. [caption id=“attachment_13548842” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Israel’s fierce bombardment of the Gaza Strip following the 7 October attacks has prompted a lot of anger amid the public, calling their actions unjustified. Several of its embassies have also been vandalised since then. File image/Reuters[/caption] Security around Israeli embassies has been beefed up ever since 7 October. Earlier in November, a man was arrested for throwing red paint on the over the front gates of Israel’s embassy in London, England. Similarly, a fence in front of a property registered as the Consulate of Israel was sprayed with graffiti calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and also set on fire. The words “Free Gaza”, “Save the kids”, “Ceasefire” and “Free Palestine” were written on the fence of the property in the Auckland suburb of Epsom. Part of the fence was also doused in petrol and set alight. In Colombia too, a group of hooded individuals vandalised the Israeli Embassy – covering it in n graffiti, torching an Israeli flag, and singing songs allegorising the attacks by Hamas. With inputs from agencies