Thai Worker Killed In Northern Israel, Allegedly Hit By Missile Shot From Lebanon

Ein al-Asad, Israel/ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Levi Meir Clancy

JAKARTA - Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it expressed deep sorrow for the death of a Thai worker in northern Israel.

Earlier on Friday, October 11, Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency response service reported the Thai national was killed in the Orbit Atas region after anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon.

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the report, saying the deaths and injuries of other nationals were caused by the explosion of ammunition dropped without providing further details.

The ministry said its embassy in Israel was closely monitoring the condition of the injured worker and awaiting autopsy results to confirm the identity of the deceased before informing the family.

The statement said the embassy was trying to evacuate 10 other Thai nationals from Kibbutz, where the incident occurred.

They asked other Thais who had difficulties leaving high-risk areas in Israel to contact the embassy for assistance.

The agricultural industry in Israel has employed thousands of Thai nationals to cultivate crops and work in dairy companies.

Thai citizens are the largest foreign national group killed in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Most were workers at agricultural sites near the guardrail separating Israel from Gaza.

Within months of the attack, an estimated 10,000 agricultural workers left the region, according to the Israeli government.