As the Iran-Israel war intensifies, India has launched Operation Sindhu to bring back its citizens from the conflict zone. While Armenia is aiding evacuation from Iran, Muslim-majority Egypt has now stepped forward to help evacuate Indians from Israel—a move that has surprised many given Egypt's earlier support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

Egypt Offers Evacuation Route Through Land Border

India's Embassy in Tel Aviv confirmed that Egypt has opened its land border with Israel to facilitate the return of Indian nationals. Egypt's ambassador to India, Kamel Galal, said,

“We will assist India in evacuating people from Israel.”

This support comes as a major relief for Indian authorities, as over 32,000 Indians currently reside in Israel, and that number has been rising.

However, the embassy also warned that Indian nationals choosing this route must secure visas for Egypt and Jordan and confirm timings in advance.

Diplomatic Turnaround: From Doubts to Cooperation

Interestingly, Egypt had previously raised concerns over India's military actions in Kashmir and criticized Operation Sindoor—a counter-terror operation conducted by India. At that time, Egypt had expressed alignment with Pakistan’s stance.

But in recent months, diplomatic ties between Egypt and India have visibly strengthened. Egypt’s tone changed after a delegation of Indian MPs visited the country. Egypt has since praised India's anti-terror strategy and expressed its intent to deepen ties.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Set to Visit Delhi

Next week, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelati is scheduled to visit India, with a key focus on defense cooperation. Egypt is seeking joint defense production agreements and training collaborations with India.

“Our defense partners are preparing to meet with Indian counterparts and companies for joint production programs,” Ambassador Galal stated.

This follows Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s 2022 visit to Cairo, where both nations signed agreements for military training, joint exercises, and equipment co-production. In 2023, Indian and Egyptian Special Forces conducted Exercise Cyclone in Rajasthan, and naval cooperation has also grown steadily.

Historic Ties Witnessing a Revival

PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Egypt in June 2023 was the first by an Indian PM in over 25 years. Earlier that same year, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was India’s chief guest on Republic Day, signaling a significant boost in diplomatic goodwill.