Indian Worker Killed in Hezbollah Missile Strike on Israel; Two Others Injured

Indian worker killed, two injured in Hezbollah missile strike on Israel. Kerala native victim of cowardly terror attack. Embassy expresses sorrow.

Indian Worker Killed in Hezbollah Missile Strike on Israel; Two Others Injured

An Indian national from Kerala lost his life during a Hezbollah missile strike on Israel. Patnibin Maxwell, a resident of Kerala's Kollam district, fell victim to an anti-missile strike by Lebanon while working in an orchard in Margaliot, Israel's northern border. The attack, which occurred around 11 am on Monday, also left two others injured.

The missile struck a plantation in Margaliot, a moshav in the Galilee region, according to Zaki Heller, spokesperson for Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue services. Maxwell, who was near the orchard when the missile hit, was identified at Ziv Hospital. Two other workers from Kerala, Bush Joseph George, 31, and Paul Melvin, 28, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Patnibin Maxwell, aged 31, had been working in Israel for two months under a work contract, employed on a farm at the time of the attack. He leaves behind a wife who is seven months pregnant with their second child, as well as a five-year-old daughter. Maxwell's elder brother, who also works in Israel, has arrived at the northern border to arrange for the repatriation of Maxwell's remains, expected to arrive in Kerala within four days.

All three victims of the missile strike were from Kerala and were employed in the plantation near the border. George, who suffered injuries to his face and body, underwent successful surgery at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva and is now in stable condition. Melvin, who sustained minor injuries, is receiving treatment at Ziv Hospital in Safed.

The Embassy of Israel in New Delhi expressed deep shock and sorrow over the incident, labeling it a "cowardly terror attack" by Hezbollah on peaceful agriculture workers. They extended condolences to the family of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.