An Indian national from Kerala, identified as Patnibin Maxwell, fell victim to a Hezbollah missile strike in Israel. Maxwell, a resident of Kollam district, lost his life during an anti-missile strike by Lebanon while in an orchard near Israel’s northern border of Margaliot. Reports indicate that at least two others, Bush Joseph George, 31, and Paul Melvin, 28, both from Kerala, were injured in the attack.
The Hezbollah missile struck a plantation in Margaliot, a moshav (collective agricultural community), in Israel’s Galilee region around 11 am on Monday, as confirmed by Zaki Heller, spokesperson for rescue services Magen David Adom (MDA).
Maxwell, aged 31, had been working in Israel for the past two months under a work contract and was engaged in farming activities at the time of the attack. Tragically, he leaves behind a five-year-old daughter, a pregnant wife, and two siblings. Maxwell’s elder brother, also employed in Israel, has already reached the northern border to retrieve his brother’s mortal remains. The Indian embassy has been contacted, and arrangements are underway to transport Maxwell’s body to Kerala within four days.
Both George and Melvin, the other victims, sustained injuries during the strike by Hezbollah missile. George, undergoing treatment at Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva, suffered injuries to his face and body but is reportedly recovering well. Melvin, who sustained minor injuries, is receiving treatment at Ziv Hospital in Safed, from the Idukki district.
The Embassy of Israel in New Delhi expressed deep shock and sorrow over the incident, denouncing it as a “cowardly terror attack” by Hezbollah on peaceful agriculture workers. The Hezbollah attack has drawn widespread condemnation and underscores the precarious situation in the region amidst ongoing tensions.
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Dhairya Saraswat