Kerala woman killed in Israel-Palestine conflict

Soumya was working as a caretaker at a flat in Israel's Ashkelon and last visited her family in 2017

A Malayali woman was killed in Israel following shelling by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas

Soumya Santosh, aged 31, hailed from the Idukki district in Kerala. Her family members told the local media that one of her friends informed them about the unfortunate incident.

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Soumya was working as a caretaker at a flat at Ashkelon in Israel, near the Gaza Strip. The shelling reportedly took place while she was on a phone conversation with her family in Kerala comprising of her husband and son.

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said that he had spoken with the family, conveyed his condolences and assured "all possible assistance".

"We have condemned these attacks and the violence in Jerusalem, and urged restraint by both sides," he tweeted.

District officials said that an official communication regarding the incident was still awaited.

Soumya was working in Israel for the last seven years and her last visit home was in 2017.