Kerala Woman Killed in Palestinian Rocket Strike in Israel

A Keralite woman working in Israel was killed allegedly in a Palestinian rocket strike on Tuesday, her family members said here. They said the rocket fell on the residence of 31-year old Soumya in the city of Ashkelon while she was talking to her husband Santhosh, who is in Kerala, over video call in the evening.

“My brother heard a huge sound during the video call. Suddenly the phone got disconnected. Then we immediately contacted fellow Malayalees working there. Thus we came to know about the incident,” Santhosh’s brother Saji said.

Soumya, hailing from Keerithodu in Idukki district, had been working as a housemaid in Israel for the last seven years, her relatives said. There is no official confirmation about the incident so far.

Minister of States for External Affairs V Muraleedharan spoked to the family and expressed grief over Soumya’s death in the incident. “Spoke with the family of Ms Soumya Santhosh to convey my deep condolences at her tragic demise during the rocket attacks from Gaza today. Assured all possible assistance. We have condemned these attacks and the violence in Jerusalem, and urged restraint by both sides,” he tweeted.