• Foreign Ministry in touch with missions in Beirut, Tel Aviv   

By Kelum Bandara 

With the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict heating up in the region,  Sri Lanka remains alert on developments for the safety and security of Sri  Lankans working in both Israel and Lebanon   

Israel said on Sunday it would strike hard at Hezbollah  after accusing the group of killing 12 children and teenagers in a  rocket attack on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.  Hezbollah denied any responsibility for the attack on Majdal Shams, the  deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Hamas’ October 7  assault sparked the war in Gaza, according to the foreign media.  

A diplomatic source said Sri Lankans work in Israel and  Lebanon, and the Foreign Ministry is in touch with the missions of those  two countries for the implementation of the contingency plan for their  safety in case of full-blown violence takes its toll. Currently, Sri Lankans working in both countries remain safe.