Four Thais were killed in northern Israel by rocket fire from Lebanon, Thailand’s foreign minister said on Friday.

Maris Sangiampongsa, in a post on social media platform X, said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths near the town of Metula on Thursday, adding that another Thai national was injured.

The head of Metula’s regional council said Thursday evening that five people were killed in the missile strike from Lebanon, a local farmer and four foreign farm workers.

About 30,000 Thai citizens live in Israel, where wages are much higher than in the Southeast Asian kingdom.

Thai nationals in Israel have been particularly hard hit since the start of the war with Hamas, with at least 39 dead in the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.