Latest Thai death toll in Hamas attack on Israel rises to 21: PM
The number of Thais who lost their lives in the Hamas attack on Israel has risen to 21 after another Thai worker was reported to have been killed, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Thursday.
He said his government was attempting to evacuate Thai nationals out of Israel but it was a difficult task while the armed conflict was raging on.
“The maritime route has to pass Gaza, which is too dangerous to use. Another route involves the use of cars towards Jordan. I confirm that the government is doing its best to take care of Thais there and help them as quickly and safely as possible,” Srettha said.
He was speaking to the media while leaving Malaysia and on his way to Singapore, during his five-day trip to Hong Kong and three Southeast Asian countries.
Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Jakkapong Sangmanee said on Thursday that the prime minister had instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find ways to evacuate as many Thai nationals as possible out of the war zone.
About 7,000 Thais living in Israel, mostly workers hired to work in farms, have reportedly requested their evacuation to Thailand.
“Last night, the prime minister instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to look for channels for Thais to be taken out of the area as soon as possible – by air, sea, and land. But the continuing battles make that difficult,” Jakkapong said.
He was responding to questions from two MPs in Parliament regarding the renewed fighting in the Middle East.
The new war came after a surprise attack on Saturday morning waged by over a thousand Hamas militants from the air, sea and ground. Thousands of missiles were fired from Gaza into Israel, leaving hundreds of people dead, and Thai workers were among the casualties.
Israel retaliated with air strikes on Gaza by jet fighters and surface-to-ground missiles.
The war has left more than 1,200 people dead and another 2,900 injured in Israel, and at least 950 dead and 5,000 others wounded in Gaza, according to media reports.
Jakkapong said in Parliament that the unofficial death toll of Thai nationals in Israel was 21, citing reports from their employers. He said official figures were still unavailable as the Israeli authorities would need two weeks to identify those killed.
The Thai ambassador in Israel has visited injured Thai nationals, and those with slight injuries would be sent back to Thailand first, according to Jakkapong.
The first group of Thai evacuees from Israel arrived in Thailand slightly past noon on Thursday.
Jakkapong also said that those affected by the incident and the families of those killed would get compensation in accordance with the law.
Sixteen Thai nationals in Israel have been captured by Hamas militants during their surprise attack.
Jakkapong said on Thursday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was attempting to communicate with the Hamas militant group for their release. The Thai authorities also were seeking assistance from relevant international organisations, he added.
According to the deputy foreign minister, an estimated 5,000 Thais had been affected, out of about 30,000 living in Israel.
Regarding the evacuation plans for Thai nationals, Jakkapong said that accommodation had been provided for those waiting to return to Thailand.
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had discussed with Israel’s neighbouring countries and found that there were still risks associated with evacuation by land, as armed fighting was continuing.
