Up to 12 Thais killed in Israel conflict, 11 taken hostage: Foreign Ministry
Employers in Israel fear as many as 12 Thai workers were killed during the attack by Hamas near the Gaza Strip, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
Reports from employers received by the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv indicate that 12 Thai workers may have lost their lives in the conflict, ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke said.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry announced that two Thai workers had been killed in the attack on two Israeli towns near Gaza on Saturday.
Kanchana said the ministry was still verifying the information from employers and awaiting confirmation of the casualty numbers from the Israeli government.
Eleven Thai workers have been taken hostage by Hamas militants, said the spokeswoman, confirming that this number remained unchanged from earlier reports. Eight Thais were reportedly injured in the attack.
As of 9pm on Sunday, 1,099 Thai workers had expressed a desire to return home while 22 wanted to remain in Israel.
Around 5,000 Thais live and work in or near the conflict zone, out of a total 30,000 Thai nationals who reside in Israel, the spokeswoman said.
