Israel says Sri Lankan man suspected to be among Hamas hostages
October 31, 2023 06:39 pm
The Sri Lankan man, who was reported missing after the Hamas-led surprise attack on Israel earlier this month, is suspected to be among the group of people held hostage by the Islamic militants in Palestine.
This new piece of information about Sujith Yatawara Bandara was officially communicated to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tel Aviv by Israel’s foreign ministry.
The 48-year-old father of two remains missing since October 07, the day Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns to launch an unprecedented attack.
Meanwhile, the DNA samples provided by Bandara’s children have been sent to Israel for further investigations.
Mr. Nimal Bandara, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Israel, assured that expeditious measures would be taken for the immediate release of Bandara if his name is on the list of names of hostages expected to be released by Hamas through the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).
Bandara, who hails from Vennapuwa, had travelled to Israel in 2015 in search of a job opportunity.
Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan woman, who was employed as a domestic worker, died in the recent attacks launched by Hamas in Israel. Anula Jayathilake’s remains were recovered and brought to the island last week.
