Sujith Bandara Yatwara of Sri Lankan origin has been confirmed dead in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the Sri Lankan Mission in Israel said today.
Sri Lankan Ambassador to Israel Nimal Bandara said the Israel Police has confirmed the death of 48-year-old Sujith Bandara Yatwara.
Ambassador Bandara further said that the death had been confirmed following a match in the DNA samples of an unidentified body found by the Israeli Police and those obtained from Yatawara’s children.
Sujith Bandara Yatwara was initially suspected to have been taken hostage by the Hamas militants.
However, continuous efforts by the authorities of Sri Lanka and Israel have confirmed that he had died during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
This is the second Sri Lankan national to be reported dead in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Earlier, Anula Ratnayake of Sri Lankan origin was reported dead in Israel following the attack by Hamas militants in October. Her body was sent to Sri Lanka on October 28, 2023.
Meanwhile, several Sri Lankans trapped in the Gaza Strip in Palestine were allowed to enter Egypt via the Rafah border crossing on Thursday (Nov 02).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Cairo, in coordination with the Egyptian authorities, and the Sri Lankan Representative in Ramallah facilitated the entry into Egypt of eleven (11) Sri Lankan nationals.
Issuing a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the 11 Sri Lankans belonging to two (02) families were stranded in the Gaza Strip and were allowed to enter Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, which is 320km away from Cairo.
The Foreign Ministry said a team of officials from the Embassy received the 11 Sri Lankans at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border and has made arrangements to provide transportation to Cairo for the facilitation of their return to Sri Lanka. (NewsWire)