BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) -- Four Thais were killed in northern Israel by rocket fire from Lebanon, Thailand’s foreign minister said Friday.

Maris Sangiampongsa, in a post on social media platform X, said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths close to the town of Metula on Thursday, adding another Thai citizen was injured.

The head of the regional council in Metula said late Thursday that five people had been killed in the rocket strike from Lebanon, one local farmer and four foreign farm workers.

About 30,000 Thai nationals live in Israel, where salaries are much higher than in the Southeast Asian kingdom.

Thai nationals in Israel have been particularly hard hit since the start of the war with Hamas, with at least 39 killed as a result of the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel.

More than two dozen were believed to have been captured by militants during the attack.

During a brief November truce, 23 Thais were released from captivity.

The Israeli army has said two Thai nationals died in captivity in Gaza in May.

After more than 11 months of cross-border clashes that displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border, the Israeli army intensified air strikes against Hezbollah in mid-September and later launched limited ground operations in southern Lebanon.

Foreign Minister Maris added: “Thailand continues to strongly urge all parties to return to the path of peace, in the name of the innocent civilians gravely impacted by this prolonged and deepening conflict.”