One Thai worker was killed, and another sustained a severe concussion after Hezbollah anti-tank missile strike in Yir’on, an agricultural estate in northern Israel, according to a Facebook post by the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv on Friday.
“Following an anti-tank missile strike on farmland in Upper Galilee, rescue workers reported the death of a 27-year-old Thai foreign worker,” said the Israeli emergency services provider, Magen David Adom, in a post on X on Friday.
The estate, located on the border with Lebanon, has been designated a closed military zone by the Israeli government due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the embassy explained.
To date, Israel has declared 11 areas as closed military zones: Metula, Misgav Am, Kfar Giladi, Dovev, Tziv’on, Malkia, Rosh Hanikra, Shlomi, Hanita, Adamit, and Arab al-Aramshe.
The embassy has urged Thai nationals living in or near these areas to contact it for assistance in coordinating their evacuation to safety.
Nikorndej Balankura, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mentioned that an investigation by Israeli authorities indicated that the fatality was caused by an explosion of leftover ammunition in the area, and not directly by the strike on Friday.
The ministry is awaiting autopsy results before informing the deceased worker’s family, he added. The injured worker is currently receiving medical care at Safed Hospital. Both the ministry and the embassy are keeping a close watch on their conditions.
Approximately 10 Thai nationals residing in the agricultural estate have been evacuated from the area, he noted.
On Friday, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa extended their condolences via X to the family of the Thai worker who died as a result of an ammunition explosion.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel and Hezbollah have been clashing since the Iran-backed militant group initiated cross-border strikes from Lebanon, aligning with its Palestinian ally Hamas.
Over the past month, the conflict has escalated, resulting in increased civilian casualties on both sides of the border.
At least 39 Thai nationals were killed as a result of the Oct 7 attack on southern Israel.