Tel Aviv: Israel has brought 240 members of the Bnei Menashe community from India under a government-backed relocation plan aimed at moving around 6,000 people by 2030. The group arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and received an official welcome, according to reported details.
This group marks the first phase of a broader programme. Around 600 more individuals are expected in three batches in the coming weeks. The plan targets members of the community living in Mizoram and Manipur in northeast India. Authorities expect about 1,200 additional arrivals by the end of 2026.
Earlier groups from this community settled in areas such as Hebron in the occupied West Bank and in settlements in Gaza before 2005. The current initiative follows a decision approved in November under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Officials state the move supports family reunification and integration into Israeli society.
The policy has drawn attention due to its link with settlement expansion. Reports indicate a rise in such activity, with around 700,000 settlers now living in occupied areas, including East Jerusalem. This accounts for nearly 10 percent of Israel’s Jewish population.
The development comes during a period of large-scale violence in Gaza. Since October 2023, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 172,000 injured, alongside widespread destruction of infrastructure across the enclave.
