As Rafah Crossing remains shut, 17 Lankans trapped in Gaza have no way out
Ramallah mission says they appear to be safe; some living in a refugee camp, some in a church Lankan migrants come in for high praise from Israeli officials, Tel Aviv renews visas of legal visitors
As Israel intensifies its airstrikes in Gaza in preparation for what is expected to be a full-scale invasion, 17 Sri Lankans from three families continue to remain stranded in the Gaza Strip with no way out.
The families are currently sheltering in southern Gaza, but Sri Lankan officials are unable to evacuate them as the Rafah Border Crossing, which leads to Egypt, continues to remain shut. The crossing is the only way to cross into Egypt and is the sole crossing point not controlled by Israel where civilians can enter and leave Gaza by land.
The 17 Sri Lankans from three families are all currently safe but are leading “miserable lives,” Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Palestine, Nawalage Bennett Cooray, told the Sunday Times. The Sri Lankan Mission in Ramallah is in daily contact with the families. Some of the Sri Lankans are staying in refugee camps, while one family has taken shelter in a church. “They are undergoing many hardships. There are bombardments taking place nearby. There are severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel, among others. We have made all arrangements to evacuate them as soon as the Rafah Border Crossing opens, but this is yet to happen,” said Mr. Cooray.
Israeli aerial and artillery strikes are estimated to have killed more than 7,500 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, while more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed in attacks by Hamas.
With Israel having imposed a total blockade on Gaza following the October 7 attacks by Hamas, Rafah is the only route for humanitarian aid into Gaza and the only route out for Gazans and foreign nationals looking to leave. The crossing was shut down on October 10 after it was hit by Israeli warplanes
Sri Lankans queue to register at Embassy in Tel Aviv to renew visas
on the Palestinian side several times. Egypt has briefly opened the Rafah Crossing in recent days to allow small convoys of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to cross into Gaza. There were initial hopes that this would coincide with the crossing being opened to allow foreign passport holders and dual nationals to leave, but this has not happened.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankans who are in Israel with expired visas were asked to register with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tel Aviv this week after the Israeli government agreed to renew such visas. A total of 1,780 Sri Lankans registered with the embassy over two days this week, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Israel, Nimal Bandara, told the Sunday Times. He said they estimated that close to 2,000 of the 8,000 Sri Lankans in Israel are living without valid visas.
Sri Lankans in Israel without valid visas fell into several distinct categories. The majority were caregivers who had not renewed their visas for various reasons. Another group comprised people who had arrived for six months training in the agriculture sector but had not returned to Sri Lanka afterwards. A third group did not have Israeli visas but had crossed into Israel illegally through the Jordanian border. “This is the group with the
Protests held in Colombo. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara and Akila Jayawardena
The remains of Anula Ratnayake reached Sri Lanka yesterday. Pic by T.K.G.Kapila
most problems since many don’t even have valid passports. They are victims of racketeers. The racketeers charge between Rs. 3 to Rs. 4 million to smuggle them across the border. They take about Rs. 2 million in advance but keep the passports of the victims with them to compel them to pay back the rest of the amount,” said Mr. Bandara.
He said that while Israeli authorities can renew the visas of those with expired visas, there is nothing much that can be done for those who have crossed into the country illegally. He noted that the Sri Lankan, who was injured in the October 7 attack and hospitalised, too, had crossed into Israel illegally from Jordan. His medical bills were borne by the Sri Lankan Embassy, as such persons did not have medical insurance. He will not get any compensation from the Israeli government for his injuries. In the event such a person is killed, his or her family will have to bear the expenses of getting the remains of their loved one back to Sri Lanka.
Nevertheless, the vast majority of Sri Lankans in Israel are legal visitors and have served with dedication during this time of crisis, the ambassador said. The Israeli Foreign Ministry and the country’s Population and Immigration
Authority (PIBA) have been full of praise for Sri Lankans in Israel, as none has left their jobs in the country and gone home despite the volatile security situation, he added. Three PIBA officials, including its Director General, visited the Sri Lankan Embassy this week and met with the ambassador and his staff to convey the Israeli government’s appreciation for the immense contribution of Sri Lankans serving in the country.
Meanwhile, the remains of Anula Ratnayake (49) who was killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7 reached Sri Lanka yesterday. The remains of the mother of two were positively identified by her relatives, who joined from Sri Lanka via video link. Religious observances were also held for her in Israel, while Embassy staff, Israeli government officials, Sri Lankans in Israel, and the family she worked for were also on hand to pay their last respects.
There is still no word on the fate of Sujith Bandara Yatawara (48) from Wennappuwa, the second Sri Lankan missing after the attacks.
Meanwhile, concerns continue to mount about the conflict between Israel and Hamas widening into a broader war with fighting breaking out between Israeli forces and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah along Israel’s northern border.
On Friday (27), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that its Consular Division has set up two emergency hotlines (0094711757536 and 0094711466585) for Sri Lankan nationals to contact the Ministry and seek any assistance in connection with “the present conflict situation in the Middle East.” The Ministry further urged Sri Lankans to keep in constant contact with the Sri Lankan Missions in Tel Aviv (Israel) and Ramallah (Palestine) in case of emergency.