India, June 17 -- LUCKOW Family members of hundreds of youths from UP working in Israel are a worried lot these days as the war between Israel and Iran has intensified, leaving them praying for the safety of their near and dear ones. Daily video calls are the only way to check if their kin are safe in Israel. As per a rough estimate, over 4,000 workers have gone to that country from UP over the past one year to work on various projects.

Birbal from Sahebpurwa hamlet in Bahraich says he is confident that his brother Shivam Sahni, who went to Israel, is in safe hands. Speaking over the phone, he said: "I spoke to Shivam this morning and everything was fine at his end. All the workers are safe, they are told to go into bunkers whenever the ...