October 11, 2023 07:33 Kathmandu: Nearly 130 Nepalis studying and working in Israel’s risky regions have been brought to safer locations.
Families of those Nepalis killed in Israel await the mortal remains of their dear ones. But it may take a few days before their bodies are sent back to Nepal, an Israeli diplomat said.
The surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday left 10 Nepali students, who had reached the West Asian country under the ‘Learn and Earn Programme’, dead and four others injured. One Nepali student is still missing following the attack, according to the Nepali Embassy in Israel.
Nepal has prioritised repatriating the dead besides moving Nepalis living in risky zones to safer locations.
“It will take a few more days as they [Israeli authorities] are still identifying the bodies,” Israeli ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder told the Post.
“We have more than 900 bodies that have yet to be identified.”
On Tuesday, CNN, citing the Israeli embassy in the US, reported that more than 1,000 people were killed and 3,418 injured in the Hamas attack on Israel over the weekend. Likewise, hundreds of Palestinians were also killed in retaliatory Israeli attacks, according to reports.
Nepalis are among the victims of Hamas attacks along with citizens of many other countries including the US, Thailand, Ukraine, France, Russia, United Kingdom, Canada and Cambodia and many foreign citizens have been taken hostage, according to an AFP report on Tuesday.
Ten Nepalis were killed when Hamas attacked a group of Nepali students at Kibbutz Alumim in southern Israel close to the Gaza Strip, which is under Hamas control.
It is the highest number of Nepali casualties on foreign soil in militant attacks since 2016, when 14 Nepalis were killed in a suicide attack by Taliban in Afghanistan.
According to Nepali and Israeli diplomats, the Israeli government itself will arrange the repatriation of mortal remains of Nepali nationals. The Israeli ambassador confirmed this to the Post.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud also requested Israel for an early repatriation of the bodies, according to the foreign ministry.
Minister Saud held a phone conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, according to the foreign ministry.
During the conversation, Foreign Minister Saud conveyed Nepal's solidarity with Israel in these difficult times and also requested for the Israeli government’s facilitation in early repatriation of mortal remains of deceased Nepalis, ensuring safety, security and relocation of Nepali nationals in safer area, and arranging the repatriation of those who wish to return home, the ministry wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
In response, the Israeli foreign minister thanked Saud for the support and promised an early repatriation of the mortal remains and return of Nepalis wishing to come home, the ministry said.
According to Nepali ambassador to Israel Kanta Rizal, the process of sending the dead bodies of the Nepalis killed in Israel is under way.
“An Israeli agency is working on the matter, giving top priority to the repatriation of the dead Nepalis,” Rijal said. “We have asked the Israeli authorities to expedite the process, pointing out the rituals to be followed.”
When it comes to a missing Nepali national, the embassy said that nothing is known about him. “We also officially don’t know why and how the Nepali student went missing,” said Ambassador Rijal.
Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student hailing from Bhasi in far-western Nepal’s Kanchanpur district, has gone missing since the Hamas attack at Kibbutz Alumim. His family is desperate for clues about his whereabouts.
Meanwhile, the Nepali Embassy said that nearly 130 Nepalis studying and working in Israel’s risky regions have been brought to safer locations even though attacks by Hamas militants have been fizzling out, a Nepali diplomat in Israel said.
As the war is raging on between Israeli security forces and Hamas militants who rule Gaza Strip, the embassy said it has been bringing Nepalis to relatively safer locations.
“As many as 55 people from southern Israel which is closer to Gaza Strip and 72 from northern Israel where the militants attacked, have been brought to safer locations with the support of Israeli security forces and other agencies,” Rizal told the Post.
According to her, those rescued from the northern region were taking shelters in five bunkers and were relocated on Tuesday morning.
According to the 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 from the Sudurpaschim University became victims of Hamas attacks as they were studying in areas closer to the Gaza Strip, according to the ministry.
Around 4,500 Nepalis are working as caregivers in Israel, the ministry said.
Many videos uploaded online by Nepalis living in Israel pleading for rescue have gone viral in recent days.
According to the embassy, it is also preparing to send Nepalis willing to return home. Over 350 of Nepalis have already registered their names online,” the Nepali Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.
