Daijiworld Media Network- Thiruvanathapuram
Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 2: A Keralite man was shot dead while attempting to cross into Israel from the Jordanian border, officials confirmed.
The deceased has been identified as Thomas Gabriel, an autorickshaw driver from Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram. He had traveled to Israel with his distant relative, Edison, on February 5.
Thomas remained in contact with his wife, Christina, until February 9, assuring her that he was safe. However, when she received no further updates, a worried Christina approached the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) seeking information about her husband. On February 28, she received an email confirming his death, but due to her unfamiliarity with email, she only learned about it when her nephew accessed the message the following day.
According to the email, Thomas was shot dead on February 10 while trying to cross the Israeli border from Jordan.
Local ward councillor Rexlin Mary stated that Thomas had traveled on a tourist visa. NORKA officials later confirmed that he was fatally shot during the attempted border crossing.
Thomas had previously worked as a security guard in Kuwait for three years before returning to Kerala five to six years ago. Since then, he had been making a living as an autorickshaw driver and occasionally worked as a loading worker.
According to his neighbor, Stanley Rodriguez, the couple was facing financial difficulties. "Thomas and Edison traveled to Israel as part of a tour program. From what we know, their trip was arranged by someone who provided a Jordan visa," Rodriguez said.
Thomas was a member of St Dominic’s Church, Vettucaud. However, further details regarding his travel arrangements remain unclear. His phone has been switched off since his disappearance.
Edison, who was injured in the same incident, suffered a gunshot wound to his leg. After losing consciousness, he was apprehended and hospitalized in Israel. Authorities deported him a week later, and he returned to India, arriving in Kochi before making his way back to Thiruvananthapuram two days later.
A neighbor revealed that four individuals were part of this travel program, with two reportedly imprisoned in Israel.
Thomas’ body remains in Israel, and his family requires significant financial assistance to repatriate his remains. Stanley Rodriguez has urged the government to intervene and expedite the process to ensure Thomas’ body is brought back home without further delay.