Thailand’s foreign minister reported Friday that four Thais had been killed by rocket fire from Lebanon in northern Israel.
“Deeply saddened” by the fatalities near the town of Metula on Thursday, Maris Sangiampongsa said on social media platform X, adding that another Thai national had been hurt.
Late Thursday, the leader of the Metula regional council announced that four foreign field labourers, one local farmer, and five other persons had been killed in the rocket strike from Lebanon.
About 30,000 Thai nationals live in Israel, where salaries are much higher than in the Southeast Asian kingdom.
Since the beginning of the conflict with Hamas, Thai nationals in Israel have been disproportionately affected; the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel claimed the lives of at least 39 of them.
It was estimated that militants had taken around two dozen hostages during the assault.
Twenty-three Thais were freed after a brief truce in November.
Two Thai nationals perished in custody in Gaza in May, according to the Israeli army.
The Israeli army initiated limited ground operations in southern Lebanon and increased airstrikes against Hezbollah in mid-September following more than 11 months of cross-border fighting that had forced tens of thousands to flee both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.
Foreign Minister Maris concluded by saying: “Thailand continues to strongly urge all parties to return to the path of peace, in the name of the innocent civilians gravely impacted by this prolonged and deepening conflict.”
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