Footage shows Thai farm workers trying to flee Israel on Tuesday following the deaths of thousands of people since the conflict with Palestine flared up on Saturday.

Overseas employees from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and the Philippines, have been caught in the crossfire of the long-running territorial and religious war, that exploded on Saturday when rockets were launched by Hamas from Gaza into the Jewish state of Israel.

Officials said at least 18 Thai nationals have been killed. Thousands have pleaded to return home but military aircraft are currently not allowed to land in the war zone. Some have booked commercial flights from the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, with planes continuing to arrive and depart despite Palestinian threats to target the airport.

The Israeli government has formally declared war on Hamas and vowed 'significant military steps' to retaliate against the organisation over the surprise attack that saw hundreds of civilians killed at a music festival and in their homes in a number of villages.

Israel has also called up 300,000 reservists even as its military has said that it has regained large swathes of territory in the south of the country.

Hamas has pledged to kill its Israeli hostages if the military targets civilians. Hamas has said they have 130 hostages, including both soldiers and civilians.

The long-running conflict is based on Palestinian opposition to the existence of a Jewish state in what Palestinians believe is their homeland. Some Palestinian groups pursue political dialogue but Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza, favors military action.