The Embassy of Israel in India on Thursday condemned the assault on two Indian workers in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, terming the incident “absolutely unacceptable.”
“The attack on two Indian workers yesterday in Ashkelon by delinquents is absolutely unacceptable. The Israeli police have caught the perpetrators and will bring them to justice,” the embassy said in a statement posted on X.
According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, the workers were ambushed in a public park near the Gaza border. The report described the assault as a “premeditated racist attack,” allegedly orchestrated over Instagram and private chats. The attackers reportedly followed the workers and beat them with the intent to rob them, targeting them as foreigners.
Israeli police arrested two 19-year-olds in connection with the assault. The broadcaster did not specify the condition of the victims or details of their medical care.
Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Pawan Khera urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to intervene. Calling it a “premeditated racist assault,” Khera alleged that such attacks were recurring and criticised the government’s handling of labour migration to conflict-hit regions.
India has been sending workers to Israel’s construction and hospitality sectors following the October 7 Hamas attack, after Israel suspended Palestinian work permits.
