Sri Lankans working and living in Israel and Lebanon have been advised to exercise extreme caution and to be in regular contact with the Colombo Mission for security updates following tense clashes between Israeli security forces and Islamic militants from the Gaza Strip and elsewhere, senior officials said yesterday.
They said there is an estimated 8,000 Sri Lankans in Lebanon and an equal number or more in the Jewish State according to statistics maintained at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE).
Deputy General Manager and Recruitment SLFEB Gamini Senarath Yapa said that these numbers could however be even higher since there have been reports of Sri Lankans crossing into those countries through illegal channels that are facilitated by human traffickers.
He however added that at present Sri Lankans are safe since the majority of them are based in the main cities and away from the fighting zones.
A large number of Sri Lankans are believed to have illegally crossed into Israel through the Jordan border before the start of the Gaza war and the actual numbers cannot be reached since they remain undocumented with the relevant authorities in Colombo, he said.
Earlier this week 35 Sri Lankans arrived into the country after they were deported by the Jordanian authorities for overstaying their tourist visas and while they were making plans to illegally cross over to Israel.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Jordan has requested all Sri Lankans to seek overseas job opportunities legally and to register with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) before their departure from the country.
In a related development 11 Sri Lankans made up of three families were able to leave the war-stricken Gaza Strip through the Rifah crossing along with hundreds of other foreign passport holders, a Foreign Ministry official said.
The Sri Lankans had lived in the Gaza territory for a considerable period of time after marrying locals and raising families and are now on the Egyptian side of the border where they were met by Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry representatives, Director General Information at the FM Kapila Fonseka said.
“They will be brought down to Colombo once the necessary documentation is completed in Egypt’, they said.
He said the Foreign Ministry was in close contact with all stakeholders both in Colombo and overs eas in regard to the welfare of the Sri Lankans based in those countries.
At least two Sri Lankans a woman and a man were killed by Hamas militants after they launched a sudden raid into the southern part of Israel during a Jewish holiday on October 7.
They were identified as Nimal Bandara from Wennapuwa and Anula Jayathilake.
Both victims had been employed in the domestic sector in Southern Israel.
While Jayatilleke’s remains were brought to the country last month arrangements are now being made to bring the down the body of Nimal Bandara.
