Quicksplained: Who was Thomas Gabriel, Kerala man shot dead while entering Israel illegally?

An Indian man was shot dead while attempting to enter Israel illegally from Jordan.

The man has been identified as Thomas Gabriel Pereira.

The incident took place on February 10.

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Thomas, a resident of Thumba in Kerala, had travelled to Jordan on a visitor visa.

On Sunday, the Indian Embassy in Jordan confirmed that it had been informed about the “sad demise of an Indian national in unfortunate circumstances.”

Who was Thomas Gabriel? How did his family in India respond to the news?

We will answer these questions:

Who was Thomas Gabriel Pereira: Explained in 10 points

1. Thomas, 47, hailed from Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala and had travelled to Jordan on a tourist visa.

2. He was reportedly shot dead by Jordanian security forces while attempting to enter Israel illegally.

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VIDEO | A man from Kerala was reportedly shot dead at the Jordan-Israel border, according to his relatives in Thiruvananthapuram. The deceased has been identified as Ani Thomas Gabriel, 47, a native of Thumba.

"He called me when he reached Jordan to tell me that he reached… pic.twitter.com/uSsvWJESDh

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 3, 2025

3. He was accompanied by his 43-year-old brother-in-law, Edison Charles, who sustained a bullet wound in the leg during the incident.

4. As per the Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi, the duo was confronted by Jordanian soldiers at the border. When they tried to take cover behind rocks, Gabriel was shot in the head and died instantly. His family was informed of his death via an email from the Indian Embassy.

5. A local panchayat representative told News18 that Gabriel was previously an autorickshaw driver before moving to Jordan.

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6. Pereira and Edison were allegedly promised jobs in Israel with a monthly salary of Rs 350,000 by an Indian contact in Jordan. Edison told The Independent that they had paid Rs 210,000 in advance and were expected to pay Rs 50,000 per month after securing employment.

7. A relative told ANI that Pereira had previously worked in Kuwait for five years. He left for Jordan without informing his wife or family, only revealing his location after reaching there.

8. Edison, who was shot in the leg, lost consciousness and was taken into custody in Israel. He was hospitalised before being deported to India a week later. He arrived in Kochi and later reached Thiruvananthapuram.

9. Thomas, also known as Ani, had left for Israel on February 5 with his relative Edison. His last call to his wife, Christina, was on February 9, assuring her of their safety.

10. The Indian Embassy, in an email to his family, stated that Gabriel and Edison had attempted to cross the Jordan-Israel border illegally in the Karak district.

‘He asked me to pray for him’

Speaking to ANI, Thomas’ wife recalled their last conversation, saying he spoke to her for only two minutes.

“He just asked me to pray for him,” she said.

An email from the Indian Embassy in Jordan to his family detailed the incident: “The security forces tried to stop them, but they did not listen to the warning. The guards opened fire on them. One bullet hit Thomas in his head, and he passed away on the spot. Later, his body was sent to the local hospital…”

Beena, a relative of Pereira, told India Today that he last contacted his wife on February 9, assuring her that they were safe in their room.

“We have no idea why he went there. He took his bag, and only when he was leaving, he said he was going to Jordan. He arranged the money himself, and he knew if he told his wife, she wouldn’t agree. She is alone here. They don’t have kids,” she said.

With inputs from agencies