Thai and Filipino workers filling labor gap in Israel get caught up in war between Israel and Hamas

By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAi and JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — The first group of Thai workers evacuated from Israel after the past few days’ bloody events in southern Israel and Gaza have arrived in Bangkok, greeted by anxious relatives and senior officials. Hamas militants stormed through a border fence Saturday and killed hundreds of Israelis in their homes, on the streets and at a music festival. The 41 Thais who returned home included two men wounded in the violence who had to use wheelchairs. Farm laborers from countries including Thailand and the Philippines seek work in more developed countries where there is a shortage of semi-skilled labor — at wages considerably higher than they can earn at home.