Kerala Woman Living In Israel Killed In A Rocket Attack While She Was On A Video Call With Her Family
One of the first things you learn as a journalist is that being apprised of all current events is of utmost importance. Hence, every morning I look over news portals and read headlines. Needless to say, at this moment, everyone is talking about the coronavirus and the vaccination drive. It’s all very morbid and disturbing. This morning, however, I read about an Indian woman, living in Israel who lost her life after being struck by a Palestinian rocket during an airstrike. When is the world going to learn that violence and war do not bring anything but tragedy and mayhem? Is the pandemic not depressing enough?
31-year-old Soumya Santosh, from Kerala’s Idukki district, worked as a caregiver to an elderly woman and lived in a house in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon. She has been living in Israel for the last seven years. According to reports, she was killed in a rocket strike by Palestinian militants from Gaza. While the rocket struck her home, Soumya was on a video call with her husband.
Santhosh’s brother Saji told PTI, “My brother heard a huge sound during the video call. Suddenly the phone got disconnected. Then we immediately contacted fellow Malayalees working there. Thus we came to know about the incident.”
Spoke with the family of Ms Soumya Santhosh to convey my deep condolences at her tragic demise during the rocket attacks from Gaza today. Assured all possible assistance.
We have condemned these attacks and the violence in Jerusalem, and urged restraint by both sides.
— V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) May 11, 2021
Also Read: The Tragic Loss Of The Woman Who Begged For Remdesivir With The Chief Medical Officer In Noida, UP
When the rocket struck, the 80-year-old woman and Soumya failed to reach a shelter that was only a minute’s run away from the woman’s house. The elderly woman survived the attack and is currently in the hospital in critical condition. Reportedly, there was also a technical glitch with an Iron Dome battery (an all-weather air defence system that intercepts and destroys short-range rockets) during this rocket attack towards the Israeli city. This glitch prevented a few rockets from being intercepted which is what led to numerous casualties and 31 deaths, including Soumya.
This entire incident is just so tragic.
