Colombo: A Sri Lankan has gone missing while another is undergoing treatment for gunshot injuries after Hamas launched a major attack on Israel.
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Israel said that a Sri Lankan youth had gone missing after the escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine and details are being collected about his whereabouts.
“If we cannot find any information about the missing person we would share his details with the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to find him among those were taken by Hamas,” Sri Lankan Ambassador, Nimal Bandara told media.
Sri Lanka expressed deep concern and called for an immediate halt to violence.
“Sri Lanka is deeply concerned about the attacks and escalation of violence and the resulting loss of life in Israel and Palestine. Sri Lanka calls for an immediate halt to violence and calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to prevent further civilian casualties,” issuing a statement the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
“Sri Lanka remains committed to supporting a negotiated settlement in line with internationally agreed parameters of two states living side by side on the basis of the 1967 borders. We extend our deepest condolences to all those who lost loved ones and express our sympathies to the affected families,” it stated.
The Sri Lanka Missions in Tel Aviv and Ramallah are monitoring the situation closely and are in contact with Sri Lankans living in the affected areas, the Foreign Ministry stated.
Nearly 8,000 Sri Lankans are working in Israel and the government has urged them to follow the instructions issued by the Israeli government related to the current conflict situation.
Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau has set up hotlines and has urged families to contact them if any of their family members in Israel are facing any issues due to the violence.
–IANS