- Authorities working to release Lankan held hostage by Hamas
A group of 17 Sri Lankans trapped in the Gaza Strip amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict have been permitted to leave the war-torn Palestinian enclave and enter Egypt via the Rafah Border Crossing.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tel Aviv has communicated this officially to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). Accordingly, 15 Sri Lankans were expected to reach Egypt last afternoon (2), SLBFE Media Spokesman Gamini Senarath said while joining a special media briefing yesterday. Speaking further, Senarath said that the Sri Lankan Embassy in Israel and the Representative Office of Sri Lanka in Palestine are working in tandem to facilitate the evacuation of Sri Lankans trapped in Gaza.
Senarath, citing Sri Lankan Ambassador to Israel Nimal Bandara, also mentioned that the Sri Lankan man who remains missing since the surprise attack launched by Hamas earlier last month is suspected to be among the hostages held by the Islamic militant group. The 48-year-old father of two was reported missing after 7 October, the day Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns to launch an unprecedented attack. Senarath said that expeditious measures are being taken to facilitate his immediate release.