As the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants continues to escalate, the Beersheba Cricket Club at the Be'er Sheva has come out to rescue the Indian researchers at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev after rockets launched by Palestinian militants started to fall on Israel's southern areas.
With the rockets raining over Israel’s southern part for the past one week, Israeli fighter jets yet again unleashed a series of heavy airstrikes at multiple locations in Gaza City early Monday (May 17) after the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled the fourth war.
Following the heavy airstrikes, several Indian researchers at the Ben-Gurion University in the Negev southern region were struggling for a proper shelter while being under a complete siege and at this distressing time, a cricket club in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba has extended the helping hand.
The Beersheba Cricket Club building, a two-storey structure close to the Ben-Gurion University, which is actually a shelter house with an underground floor, opened its door for the local residents immediately after rockets launched by Palestinian militants started to fall on Israel's southern areas.
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Naor Gudker, the Chairman of Beersheba Cricket Club, said: “Some of the Indian researchers also play for the cricket club and are like part of our family. But we told them that anybody looking for a safe shelter is welcome to use our facility.”
He added, “There are several Indian researchers staying with us during the past week, both boys and girls, and we have tried to make things as comfortable as possible, extending them all possible help. Some of them are not fully aware of the safety regulations and me and my colleagues have tried to make them aware of all the precautions to be taken to keep them safe.”
The club members have been taking turns and voluntarily attending the facility in shifts to look after the local residents lacking safe houses and also foreigners, mostly Indian researchers.
Viraj Bhingardive, Heena Khand, Shashank Shekhar, Rudraru Senguta, and Bishnu Khand, some of the doctoral and post-doctoral fellows, are taking refuge at the club during these difficult and have expressed their gratitude towards the generosity of the cricket club.
They reportedly stated: “We can sleep here knowing we are safe. There hasn’t been a quiet night since last Monday. The club has not only made Indian students feel secure but, in a way, has been pampering them. They have access to snacks, tea, and coffee and can use the gym and the entertainment system it helps distract us from the ongoing misery.”
Noteworthy, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has fired more than 3,000 rockets over Israel is the past seven days, while Israel has carried out hundreds of devastating retaliatory attacks in Gaza.
(With PTI Inputs)
