LAGATAR24 DESK
Bangkok: Thailand’s foreign minister, Maris Sangiampongsa, announced on Friday that four Thai nationals were killed in a rocket strike from Lebanon in northern Israel, near the town of Metula. “I am deeply saddened,” Sangiampongsa posted on X, noting that another Thai citizen was also injured in the attack. Local authorities confirmed that five people died in the strike, including four foreign farm workers and one local farmer.
Approximately 30,000 Thai nationals reside in Israel, working primarily in the agricultural sector where wages are significantly higher than in Thailand. Since the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Thai citizens in Israel have been significantly affected, with at least 39 Thai nationals killed since October 7, 2023, and more than two dozen taken hostage during attacks by militants.
During a brief truce in November, 23 Thais were released from captivity, although the Israeli army confirmed that two Thai nationals had died in captivity in Gaza in May. Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris expressed his condolences and urged a return to peace, “in the name of innocent civilians gravely impacted by this prolonged and deepening conflict.”
The Israeli army recently intensified its operations against Hezbollah, including air strikes and limited ground incursions in southern Lebanon, after nearly a year of escalating cross-border skirmishes.
