31-year old Soumya was living in the city of Ashkelon in Israel. She is from Kerala’s Idukki district. She had been working there as a housemaid for an 80 year old woman for the last seven years.  Yesterday on 11th May, she was talking with her husband Santosh who is in Kerala, over video call in the evening. Suddenly her neighbourhood came under rocket attack from Palestinian Militants. Militants fired hundreds of rockets. The home did not have a rocket shelter of its own. The rocket shelter was at least a minute’s run away from the woman’s home but the pair could not manage to reach it in time. Soumya was killed but the 80 year old survived and is now in the hospital in a very critical condition. Mr Santhosh's brother Saji said, “Santhosh heard his wife screaming all of a sudden while she was speaking. There was loud noise and the call got disconnected.” One of Soumya’s relatives who was also working in the area, went to the house where Soumya worked and confirmed her death. The relative then informed her family. 

A total of 31 persons were killed in the violence. Soumya, who has a 10-year-old son, has been working as a caregiver in Israel for the past 10 years and she last visited her family in Kerala two years ago. She was planning to return to Kerala two months later. Many Keralites who are living in Israel are now very afraid over the fight going on between Israelis and Palestinians. Ashkelon's Mayor Tomer Glam said, “They have an Iron Dome in Ashkelon. This helps to intercept and destroy short range rockets. However there was a technical glitch in the Iron Dome which is why it was not able to intercept the rocket. Israel's ambassador to India Ron Malka Tweeted : “On behalf of Israel, I convey heartfelt condolences to the family of Ms. Soumya Santosh, murdered by this terror attack. Our hearts are crying son that lost his mother in this cruel Terrorist attack,”

Tags

• Israel
• Palestine
• Kerala
• Rocket
• Strike

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