Employers report that 12 Thai workers in Israel were confirmed killed, nine injured and 11 abducted by Hamas, and 1,099 Thai workers there want to leave and planes are being readied to bring them home, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
Spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke said employers in Israel reported the death toll. Thai authorities were still confirming the names of the Thai victims, before forwarding the sad confirmation to their relatives.
"It is difficult to obtain an official confirmation, so the names (of the dead victims) are not being revealed yet," she said.
The spokeswoman said nine Thai people were injured, and 11 others were taken away as captives. The abducted Thais were among 100 or more civilians taken by the Hamas attackers. They also took Israelis, French, German and Georgian nationals.
Ms Kanchana said 1,099 Thai workers there had now expressed their desire to return to Thailand. The government was arranging evacuation, repatriation and rescue channels to help them, and those who were abducted.
The violence continued in Israel and the Israeli defence ministry intended to evacuate all civilians from cities near Gaza Strip within 24 hours.
There are about 30,000 Thais working in Israel and about 5,000 of them near the Gaza Strip.
Israel's Tel Aviv airport remained operational but many airlines were cancelling flights through there because of the war, and the frequency was reported to be down by half.
The Royal Thai Air Force has prepared its Airbus 340 and five C-130 transport aircraft for the repatriation of Thai workers from Israel. Sources said the government would also arrange for chartered flights as needed.