• SLBFE says majority – not based in Israel’s South or Gaza – don’t seek immediate evacuation, few Lankans in affected areas 
• Evacuation to take place if commercial flights grind to a halt and tensions become more serious      

Amidst the escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine, most of the nearly-8,000 Sri Lankans working in Israel have adopted a “wait and see” approach, and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), if necessary, will coordinate with the relevant agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to evacuate them to Sri Lanka, the SLBFE stated.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (11), SLBFE Media Spokesperson and Deputy General Manager Senarath Yapa said that there are about 8,000 Sri Lankans who have gone to Israel for employment purposes, most of whom have gone through the SLBFE. 

“There are about 8,000 Sri Lankans in Israel at present. Of them, 95% are registered with the SLBFE. There are some others who have gone there for seasonal employment, and remain there without valid visas.”

He said that most of the Sri Lankans living in Israel had requested not to evacuate them in the present situation. “Most of those who contacted us said that they did not want to return to Sri Lanka. They informed us that they would wait for some time and see how the situation goes. There have been tensions between Israel and Palestine from time to time. Whenever there is an imminent attack, what they do is go to safe locations. However, if someone needs to return to Sri Lanka, they can do so at any time. The commercial flights are still in operation there,” he said, and added that the SLBFE would coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and take necessary steps to evacuate Sri Lankans in the event commercial flights come to a standstill, and tensions grow to a serious level.

When queried regarding the action that had been taken by the SLBFE as of now, Yapa said that the SLBFE had taken several steps to acquire information and educate Sri Lankans on the safety measures to be followed. 

“It is Southern Israel that has been most affected by the tensions, and there are very few Sri Lankans living in the area. The other parts of the country are functioning normally. However, whenever there is a danger to a Sri Lankan, we directly intervene with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Israel and take necessary action to provide relief to them.”

On 7 October 2023, Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas launched a large-scale invasion against Israel from the Gaza Strip. The attack involved thousands of rockets launched and militants entering Israeli territory through land, air, and sea. The responding Israeli counteroffensive was named Operation Iron Swords by the Israel Defence Forces. The growing tensions have resulted in more than 1,500 people being killed on both sides, and many more being injured along with massive damages to property.