Israeli diplomat mourns death of Indian national killed in Hezbollah attack

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Israeli Consul General to South India, Tammy Ben-Haim has mourned the loss of Pat Nibin Maxwell, who was killed earlier this week while working in Israel, and said that she will work to provide Israeli support for his family.

The Consul General said that both Israel and India have been victims of the menace of terrorism and are very well aware of the price of fighting terror.

Maxwell, who hailed from Kerala was employed at a farm in northern Israel, and was killed in a missile attack by Hezbollah.

Speaking to ANI, Ben-Haim said, "It is such a tragic loss, and when we learned about that, we were so taken aback, and so sad. Israel is in a midst of a war fighting terrorists and we have been suffering losses daily since the massacre of October 7. But I think having somebody who's coming to visit our country to work with us, to help us, and especially from our good friend India, was just so painful."

"Maxwell was a young man, at the prime of his life, who, with her wife and daughter, it's just awful. We know the price we pay for fighting terrorism and India knows it too," she added.

The Israeli Consul General elaborated on how the attack actually transpired that led to Maxwell's death in Northern Israel, and said that the missile was launched by terror group Hezbollah from Lebanon.

"What happened was Maxwell and two Indian nationals were working in northern Israel. Hezbollah terror group, which is funded by Iranian regime and sits in Lebanon fired missile. We have the Iron Dome system which stops rockets, but nothing is a 100 per cent in life," Ben-Haim said.

"Very very tragically, one of those rockets hit Maxwell, who died from the attack. Two others were injured, one is already released, the second is still in hospital and there is no threat to his life," she added.

She said that she would meet Maxwell's family in Kerala and work to provide his family with Israeli support.

"I was here to take the mortal remains of Maxwell back to his home in Kerala. Today I'm going to be with the family to again express our condolences, see what we can do, see how the state of Israel can support them in this hard time right now, but also in the future, ensuring that his wife, daughter, family can have a way to go on," the Israeli diplomat further said.

Earlier on Friday, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, received the mortal remains of the late Patnibin Maxwell at Thiruvananthapuram Airport.

Recently, Moshe Arbel, the Israeli interior minister, also visited India to pay tribute to Maxwell.

The Israeli embassy confirmed on March 5 that the deceased has been identified as 31-year-old Pat Nibin Maxwell, son of Pathrose Maxwell, from Kollam district in Kerala.

Maxwell had arrived in Israel two months ago and was working on a farm there.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, at least 10 rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Western Galilee. Some of the projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system.

Following the incident, the Indian Embassy in Israel issued an advisory urging the Indian nationals living in the border areas of Israel to relocate to "safer areas within the country" due to prevailing situations.

Maxwell, 31, is survived by his wife who is seven months pregnant, and a five-year-old daughter.