Hamas attack kills at least 10 Nepali students in Israel

Kathmandu: At least 10 Nepalis were killed and four others were injured in armed attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israel on Saturday, Nepal’s embassy in Israel confirmed.

“A Nepali national has remained contactless whose whereabout is being searched,” the embassy based in Tel Aviv, said in a statement on Sunday night. “The injured are being treated at a local hospital.”

It is the largest casualties of Nepalis on foreign soil in militant attacks since 14 Nepalis were killed in a suicide bombing Afghanistan in 2016.

“Coordination has been made with the Israeli government to send the dead bodies back home,” the embassy said.

Nepali students who had reached Israel under the Learn and Earn programme of the Israeli government, fell victim to Hamas’s unprecedented attacks on Israel, according to Nepal’s foreign ministry.

In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and continued ongoing fighting has left over 700 Israelis and over 400 Palestinian dead, CNN reported.

Earlier on Sunday, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud informed the House of Representatives, lower house of the parliament, that a few Nepalis were feared dead during Hamas attacks.

According to the minister, 17 Nepali students who were studying at Kibbutz Alumim of southern Israel, which is closer to Gaza Strip, came under attacks from the Islamist group which rules Gaza strip. “Two of them have remained unharmed,” the Minster said.

According to Nepal’s foreign ministry, a total of 265 Nepali students from different Nepali universities had reached Israel under the Israeli government’s ‘Learn and Earn’ Programme.

As many as 17 students out of 49 who had gone from Sudurpaschim University of western Nepal were studying at Kibbutz Alumim area and came under attack from the militant group.

There are currently 4,500 Nepalis working as caregivers in Israel, according to the foreign ministry.

After Hamas attacks, Israeli ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder on Sunday visited Nepal’s foreign ministry to inform about the attacks of Nepali nationals.

“I briefed them (foreign ministry officials) on casualties and missing (Nepali) people,” Goder told India Narrative.  Since the incident, Nepal’s foreign ministry has formed a mechanism led by the foreign minister incorporating all concerned agencies.

“This mechanism has been making necessary efforts for the protection and rescue of Nepali nationals in Israel,” a foreign ministry statement on Sunday stated.

Also Read: Why Iran holds the key in deciding the fate of the Hamas-Israel conflict