Israel starts providing monthly allowance to families of Nepali victims of Hamas attack

KATHMANDU: The Israeli government has announced a monthly allowance of Rs 55,000 to the next of kin of 10 Nepali students who lost their lives in a Hamas attack on Israel in October last year.

According to the Embassy of Israel in Kathmandu, the families of the victims have already begun receiving allowances.

Dipesh Raj Bista of Darchula, Ananda Sah of Dhanusha, Rajesh Kumar Swarnakar of Sunsari, Rajan Phulara and Padam Thapa of Doti, Prabesh Bhandari of Salyan, and Lokendra Singh Dhami of Darchula, Narayan Prasad Neupane of Bardiyaa, Ganesh Kumar Nepali of Bajhang and Ashish Chaudhary of Kailali died in the Hamas attack. These Nepali students were in Israel for the Israeli government’s ‘learn and earn’ scholarship.

Bipin Joshi of Kanchanpur has been taken hostage by Hamas, according to the Israeli Defence Force. The Israeli Embassy has also been providing a monthly allowance of more than Rs 70,000 to his family, according to the Ambassador of Israel to Nepal, Hanan Goder. “The National Security Council of Israel took the decision to provide a monthly allowance for the families of victims in October itself. Families of Nepalis who lost their lives in Israel are receiving allowances based on this decision,” Goder told Himal Press.

The Department of Foreign Employment also confirmed that families of Nepali students who lost their lives in Israel have been getting a monthly allowance from the Israeli government.