Jerusalem, Mar 3: Amid escalating tensions in the region, India has made preparations to ensure safety of its citizens living in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which is under attack from Israel.

"We have been constantly monitoring the situation and have made preparations to ensure safety of Indian nationals living in Gaza if the situation deteriorates," India's representative in Palestinian National Authority Zikrur Rahman told PTI.

The Indian nationals living in Gaza have been advised to restrict their movements.

"All the Indians living in Gaza are safe. We are in touch with each other and the Indian representative office in Ramallah has also been constantly checking about our well being," Priya Sagali living in Khan Younis town of Gaza said.

The Indian mission in the West Bank has been calling us up all the time since violence escalated on Sunday. We have been advised to tell them if we need something. They have been quite helpful also in the past, Alka Abid, an Indian national living in Gaza City said.

There are 21 Indian nationals living in Gaza, some of them for more than ten years.

While most of them are married to Palestinians, a few of them work at Mother Teresa's Missionaries and Charity which runs old age homes and children houses. Over 70 Gazans have been killed and about 200 injured in two days of Israeli offensive meant to stop rocket attacks on its southern communities.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has said Israel will not hesitate in carrying out a broad ground offensive if it is needed to prevent rocket attacks being carried out by Gaza militants.