Indians in the Gaza Strip, which is being pounded by Israelis, are safe.

The Indian mission in Tel Aviv is constantly monitoring the situation since the violence flared up in the coastal enclave twelve days ago, leaving more than 650 people dead, including almost a third of them children.

"The Indian mission has been in touch with us and it gives us a lot of strength. We are very concerned with the developments and hear gunshots and exploding shells all around us with some shrapnel even falling in our backyard. We are so far unharmed," an Indian woman from New Delhi [Images], now living in the Gaza city with her Palestinian husband and two children, said on conditions of anonymity.

"The mission has extended all help in case we want to leave Gaza but the thought of leaving my husband alone in this situation is scary. My children have Indian passports so they do not have any problems," she said.

Another Indian woman from Kashmir, married to a Palestinian, said she is afraid that she 'may not be able to come back soon' if she leaves the territory now.

"Two of my three children do not have Indian passports, so I will have to leave them here with my husband which is not an option at the moment though it seems to be getting really hard with each passing day. I am worried about my kids," she said.

Two nuns serving in Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charities have a moral dilemma with the thoughts of evacuating.

"We are very uncomfortable with the thought leaving all these handicapped children and old age people we work with in the middle of a crisis. We are staying," sister Chalen, hailing from Kunnoor district, said.

Another Indian woman from Bangalore, married to a Palestinian and with four kids living in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, also expressed her gratitude to the Indian mission for caring for her well being but looks inclined towards staying on.

There are about ten Indians living in Gaza who have not left the coastal Strip though offered with the option of evacuation by Israel twice during the last twelve days of escalation.

One or two considered the option but were ambiguous given family considerations.

Israel ordered a pause in its massive offensive on Wednesday to allow "humanitarian" aid, including food and fuel, to reach besieged Palestinians.

With growing criticism of the military offensive, which has led to spiralling civilian deaths, Israel said it would open 'humanitarian corridors' to allow supplies to reach Palestinians.