Embassy in Tel Aviv told to prepare for evacuations if hostilities worsen
PUBLISHED : 2 Oct 2024 at 17:52
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has told the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv to closely monitor the security situation in Israel, update Thai nationals living there on any developments, and evacuate them if necessary.
She was responding on Wednesday to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, following a missile attack by Tehran that has further heightened fears of an all-out regional war.
Ms Paetongtarn has instructed the embassy in Tel Aviv to promptly issue notices to all Thais living in at-risk zones and to seek cooperation with other parties to ensure their prompt evacuation to a safe place, said Jirayu Huangsap, an adviser to the prime minister.
On Tuesday night, the embassy posted on its Facebook page an update from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stating that three more cities had been declared “closed military zones”. They are Dovev, Tziv’on and Malkia, all in the northern border area near Lebanon.
Many areas of northern Israel have been the targets of missile strikes for weeks by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia based in Lebanon. Israel has retaliated equally forcefully.
The first three cities declared closed military zones on Monday night were Metula, Mlsgav Am and Kfar Giladi, according to the embassy.
This means all six cities are now considered off-limits to any workers or civilian residents, said the embassy.
Any Thais still in these cities are advised to leave immediately. If they need help with travel, they can call the embassy at +972 54-636-8150, +972 50-367-3195 or +972 54-569-3476. The official Line ID of the embassy is 0545693476.
Before the Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct 7 last year, about 30,000 Thai nationals were working in the country, the majority in agriculture and construction. Almost 9,000 were repatriated in the early days and weeks of the war with Hamas, while the rest opted to remain. They were known to be in safe areas not near conflict zones, authorities said at the time.
About 600 Thai labourers, the first to go to Israel since the Hamas attack last October, went to the country in July.
Of the 31 Thais originally taken hostage by Hamas last October, 23 have been released. Two were confirmed dead in May and the fate of the remaining six is unknown.