India news: Thousands of Indian pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks disrupt flights

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday. They discussed bilateral ties and recent developments in the Middle East.

"We also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region," Modi said in a post on X.

Netanyahu, calling Modi a friend, said he had invited the Indian prime minister to light a torch on Israel's Independence Day alongside Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, who has been praised for helping prevent a disaster on a Tel Aviv-bound plane last month.

"Modi thanked me for the invitation and said that, on land and in the air, India and Israel are fighting terrorism together. He also commended the strong and decades-old ties between us," Netanyahu said.

India-Israel relations have flourished under Modi: In 2017, Modi became the first ever prime minister of India to visit Israel, and in February 2026, became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Knesset.

An organization affiliated with India's Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) movement will hold a protest march in New Delhi on Friday against SpaceX founder Elon Musk's Starlink, citing national security and digital sovereignty concerns.

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) said the march would begin at 11 a.m. (0530 GMT) in the capital's Chanakyapuri area.

It has urged the government to block Starlink's commercial satellite broadband launch, arguing that its network could complicate internet shutdowns and lawful interception during security emergencies.

The campaign follows Musk’s criticism of regulatory delays facing Starlink in India and his accusation that Reliance Industries, led by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is using its market power to block foreign competitors.

In a tweet addressing Ambani as the Prime Minister of India and the "real boss of India," Musk accused the tycoon of "monopolistic exploitation" of Indians and keeping Starlink out of the market.

Reliance has rejected the allegations.

"It is unfortunate that instead of responding to the information requested from his company on national security grounds, Elon Musk chose to indirectly accuse Indian businesses and the government," the SJM said in a statement on its website.

The SJM highlighted Starlink in Ukraine as a case study for national security. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the trillionaire ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite service that Kyiv relies on.

Separately, in a sign of Musk's plummeting popularity in India, recently, controversial Dussehra posters displayed in the northern Lucknow city depicted Musk and other international figures, including US Senator Ilhan Omar, as the ten faces of Ravana, portraying them as opponents of India's interests.

During the Hindu Dussehra festival effigies of Ravana are traditionally burned symbolizing the victory of good over evil.

The Indian government said on Thursday it was working to facilitate the return of Muslim pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia following flight disruptions caused by Houthi attacks on airport infrastructure.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah were coordinating with airlines and tour operators to arrange their return.

Around 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims had returned to India on available flights over the past week, alongside more than 10,000 other Umrah pilgrims who travelled on scheduled services, according to the ministry statement. Umrah refers to the pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites outside of the month of Dhul-Hijja.

"Arrangements are being discussed to facilitate the return of other Umrah pilgrims at the earliest," the ministry said.

Earlier, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi had said around 4,000 Indian pilgrims were stranded in Mecca and Medina after Indian carriers cancelled flights.

As Saudi Arabia's revived war with the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels has intensified in recent weeks, with the Yemeni rebels targeting several major Saudi airports, some Indians have found themselves caught in the middle.

On Wednesday, one Indian national was killed and two others injured in an attack on Dammam airport in Saudi Arabia, while another was injured in an attack on the Shaybah oil field.