Kerala woman dies in rocket attack in Israel

An Indian woman hailing from Kerala working in Israel was killed allegedly in a Palestinian rocket strike on Tuesday. According to the family of the deceased, 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," Mr Santhosh's brother Saji told PTI.

According to her family friends, the incident happened when Soumya was talking to her husband Santhosh over the phone. “Santhosh heard his wife screaming all of a sudden while she was speaking. There was loud noise and the call got disconnected,” said panchayat member Tinsy Thomas.

“Later, one of Soumya’s relatives, who is also working in the same city as a caregiver, was informed about the rocket attack. She went to the house where Soumya worked as a caregiver and confirmed her death,” said Thomas.

Ms Soumya, hailing from Keerithodu in Idukki district, had been working as a caregiver in Israel for the last ten years. She was planning to return back home in India after two months.