Sri Lankan Envoy in Tel Aviv Nimal Bandara yesterday pointed out that none of the Sri Lankans living and working in Israel want to leave the country and return to Sri Lanka despite the ongoing war as they are feel secure living and working in Israel where the majority of them have been employed as caregivers and in the agriculture industry for a long time.
“Only two Sri Lankans were confirmed dead and one injured so far due to the Israel-Palestine ongoing war,” he said.
The Ambassador was making these remarks during a discussion to make the media aware on conflicts arisen due to ongoing attacks between Palestine and Israel in the Gaza Strip and how it impacts Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan workforce living in Israel, at the Government Information Department Auditorium yesterday (27), via online with Ambassador Nimal Bandara joining the discussion from Israel.
In case of an attack taking place on the land area in Israel which may result in life threatening incidents taking place, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a special committee headed by General Shavendra Silva to handle the situation, Ambassador Bandara said.
He said that the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry is constantly coordinating and communicating with neighbouring High Commissions and Embassies on updates where there was a special discussion held between them even yesterday morning to decide on contingency plans to safeguard Sri Lankans living in Israel.
This includes providing passports and visas for those who have misplaced them, lost or do not have them in order to ensure that they can legally travel across the neighbouring countries without facing any obstacles, Bandara said.
He said that it was the first time where a Sri Lankan living in another country who died received state honours of two countries as in the case of Anula Ratnayake who died as a heroine while saving an Israeli woman from terrorist shooting, as she was given an honorary funeral in Israel under the flags of Israel and Sri Lanka as well as her body will be flown back to Sri Lanka under the flags of the two countries. Bandara said that the Sri Lankan Embassy in Israel and its staff together with him have been continuously working with 24/7 operations tirelessly since the conflict began, coordinating with all relevant authorities and parties to ensure the safety of Sri Lankans living in Israel from imminent dangers they face from attacks.
Bandara stressed that besides the two Sri Lankans who died in Israel as war casualties and the third person who was injured, according to the data gathered by them, the rest of the Sri Lankans living in Israel are safe and well. He also said that he firmly believes after carrying out intense investigations that not a single Sri Lankan is held as hostages by Hamas and he is continuing to investigate to find out if there are any Sri Lankans by any chance held as hostages by Hamas and if so will work to free them.
Nimal Bandara added that there are nearly 2,000 Sri Lankans belonging to five categories who are in Israel without valid passports or visas including those whose visas and passports have expired and the officials of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Israel are working towards ensuring their safety and getting them necessary legal travel documents.
This discussion was jointly organized by Foreign Ministry, Transport, Highways and Mass Media Ministry and the Department of Government Information based on a joint decision taken by Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC and Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Varuna Dayaratne