Foreign nationals reported to be killed in Israel as death toll surges

Thailand's foreign ministry on Monday said 12 Thai nationals who had been working in Israel were killed in the ongoing unrest in the region, while 11 more were kidnapped and eight injured, adding to the number of other foreign nationals killed since the war began three days ago.

"We are working to help all Thai citizens in Israel," foreign ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke told reporters on Monday.

She added that the Thai embassy in Israel was informed of the deaths by the victims' employers.

She also confirmed that an additional eight Thais were wounded and 11 were taken captive since the war broke out on Saturday after Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, AFP reported.

Moreover, Bangkok's labour ministry revealed that around 30,000 Thai workers were in Israel out of whom many worked in agriculture.

Labour minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn revealed that Israeli forces had begun to move workers away from danger zones and many have registered to return home.

"There are 1,099 who have registered to return home," Phiphat said in an interview on Thai television. "We have about 5,000 labourers working in the fighting zone."

Additionally, foreign ministry spokeswoman Kanchana said Thai Air Force planes were on standby to fly citizens home, though the date and other details of any evacuation were still being worked on.

Adding to the number of deaths of foreign nationals, Nepal said Monday that at least 10 of its nationals were killed in Israel amid the ongoing war in the region, and the cabinet will hold an emergency meeting to discuss how to evacuate thousands of others working and studying there, Reuters reported.

The country's foreign ministry reported that four Nepalis were also wounded in the attack, and media reports said many others were hiding in bunkers.

Furthermore, several US citizens were killed and injured in Israel, a National Security Council spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed Sunday evening, the Deccan Herald reported.

On Sunday morning, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS News that the State Department was also aware of unconfirmed reports of US citizens taken hostage by Hamas. The agency was working to “find out if those reports are accurate,” he said.

Meanwhile, the French foreign ministry stated that a French woman was killed in Israel in the attack, but it provided no other information.

A French citizen, a 20-year-old soldier in the Israeli military, was confirmed killed, according to a French diplomat. Several more French citizens are still missing, said the official.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Sunday, that two citizens of Ukraine were among those killed in Israel, while over 100 citizens had contacted the country's embassy.

Two Mexican nationals were believed to be among the hostages taken by Hamas, Mexico’s foreign minister, Alicia Bárcena, said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Israeli Embassy in London confirmed that two British citizens — Dan Darlington and Jake Marlowe — were missing. The embassy also confirmed that Nathanael Young, a British man serving in the Israeli military, was killed on the Gaza border Saturday.

A 23-year-old German-Israeli citizen Shani Louk was also abducted by Hamas fighters while attending an open-air music festival, German officials said.