Telangana workers living in Israel endure harrowing night of missile strikes near Tel Aviv

Hyderabad: Telangana workers residing in Ramat Gan, a city near Tel Aviv, experienced an unprecedented night of fear and disruption as missile attacks by Iran on the night of June 13-14 triggered repeated air raid sirens and defensive action from Israel’s Iron Dome system.“We spent a sleepless night with sirens wailing continuously as the attacks persisted. Unlike previous incidents, where sirens would sound and then quieten, this time the threat was real and sustained. We could actually hear the missiles and the Iron Dome intercepting them,” a Telangana worker in Ramat Gan told TOI on Saturday.Ramat Gan, home to around 1,000 workers from Telangana—mostly employed as construction labourers or caregivers—has rarely faced such direct threats, even during past conflicts involving Hamas.

Workers, who typically live in older buildings equipped with basement bomb shelters, would usually take temporary refuge during sirens and return to their apartments within minutes. But this time was different.“As the missile barrage continued through the night, many of us moved to newer buildings with larger shelters,” said Soma Ravi, president of the Telangana Israel Association. “Each flat in these buildings has a designated ‘safe room’, and the basements offer more spacious shelters.

We needed a place where we could remain for hours together,” he told TOI.Many workers in Ramat Gan recalled the harrowing experience of rushing to safe rooms as missiles rained through the night. What was earlier a brief routine of seeking shelter turned into hours-long confinement as the sirens kept blaring and explosions echoed around them. “For the first time, we had to shift to newer buildings with larger bomb shelters, highlighting the severity and unpredictability of the situation this time,” a worker said.

Ravi, who had planned to fly to Hyderabad to meet his daughter visiting from the US, had to postpone his trip as Tel Aviv’s airport operations were suspended following the Israeli govt’s declaration of a state of emergency.“I was looking forward to being with my family in Hyderabad. But with the airport shut, I’ve had to delay my travel plans. I’m hoping the situation improves soon,” he said.Even as workers remained safe, the intensity of the attack was evident. “Debris from a shot-down missile fell near my building,” one Telangana worker said, underscoring how close the danger came.Despite the tense night, the community is safe and resilient—but for many, it was an experience unlike anything they had faced before.