Kerala man shot dead at Jordan-Israel border

The Indian Embassy in Jordan on Sunday confirmed the death of an Indian national at the Jordan-Israel border and said that efforts were under way to repatriate his mortal remains.

The embassy said it was coordinating with Jordanian authorities and was also in touch with the deceased’s family.

The victim, 44-year-old Thomas Gabriel, of Thumba in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, had reportedly travelled to Israel on a tourist visa. His family was recently informed that he was shot while attempting to cross the border from Jordan to Israel, sources said.

Gabriel was part of a travel group which included four individuals; the remaining two are reportedly imprisoned in Israel, the sources said.

Gabriel is said to have left for Israel on February 5 this year, along with his distant relative Edison. He last contacted his wife, Christina, on February 9, assuring her of their safety, according to the sources.

Christina sought assistance from the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) after she lost contact with Gabriel, a source said.

She came to know about her husband’s death on February 28, another source said.

Gabriel’s relative, Edison, had also sustained a gunshot wound on his leg after being shot and was taken into custody by Israel. Later, he was hospitalised before being deported to India, sources said. “He reached Thiruvananthapuram on Friday,” according to family sources.