Several Sri Lankans have been injured by Iranian missile attacks confirmed Colombo, as it temporarily halted the dispatch of workers to Israel.
Following a wave of Iranian ballistic missile attacks on cities including Tel Aviv and Haifa, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tel Aviv has informed the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) to suspend further deployments until the situation stabilises.
Currently, around 20,000 Sri Lankans are employed in Israel across sectors such as construction, caregiving, hospitality, and agriculture. Several hundred more were set to depart, with a recent batch of 177 workers having left on May 19 and 20.
Sri Lankan Ambassador to Israel, Nimal Bandara, confirmed that two Sri Lankan women were injured in the recent missile attacks. One woman sustained bruises and cuts on her right hand from falling glass in Bat Yam and was later treated at the Sri Lankan Embassy. Another woman working south of Tel Aviv was safely evacuated with her host family after a tremor caused by the attacks shook their home.
In a separate incident, a Sri Lankan construction worker was injured in the leg during a missile strike in Bnei Brak. Arrangements have been made to provide him with necessary medical treatment.
The apartment of a Sri Lankan Embassy staff member was also damaged, although no injuries were reported. The Embassy said it has been actively monitoring the situation and providing assistance to the thousands of Sri Lankans in Israel.
Concerns have been raised in Colombo regarding the economic impact of the ongoing conflict. With nearly one million Sri Lankans in the region and remittances forming a crucial part of the country’s foreign exchange revenue, authorities are wary of potential losses in employment opportunities and external economic shocks.
Sri Lanka’s Minister Bimal Rathnayake addressed the continued ties with Israel amidst international condemnation of its actions in Gaza last month, stating, “If Sri Lanka suddenly ends ties with Israel, the economy will crash.”
This stance follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year, through which 6,092 Sri Lankans secured jobs in Israel's construction sector. As of mid-2025, 1,018 Sri Lankan workers had already departed. In March, Sri Lanka opened a new consulate in Haifa, further strengthening diplomatic and economic cooperation, including discussions on trade in gems, jewellery, cinnamon, and agriculture.
