Ganesh Kumar Nepali, 31: Nepali student was a ‘promising young man’

Ganesh Kumar Nepali, 31, from Jayaprithvi-6 in the Bajhang district of Nepal, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Alumim on October 7.

Ganesh had only recently arrived in Israel to take part in a “learn and earn” program aimed at teaching the group of Nepali agricultural students about farming work.

When Hamas gunmen attacked their living quarters just outside the kibbutz, 10 Nepali students, including Ganesh, were slaughtered, as were 12 Thai agricultural laborers. Others were taken hostage, including Nepali citizen Bipin Joshi, who is still believed to be held captive in Gaza.

KC Pramod, who survived the attack, told the Guardian that he watched as Ganesh and another friend, Dipesh Raj Bist, were shot dead in front of him.

“We started shouting, ‘We are Nepali, we are Nepali,’ but they didn’t listen to anyone, they just kept firing and threw two grenades into the bunker,” Pramod told the newspaper. “After that, the bunker was completely covered in blood.”

Ganesh’s body arrived back in Nepal for burial on October 26. His cremation ceremony was held the next day. He is survived by his parents, Dhanlal and Lakshmi, and his siblings.

According to the Nepali Times, Ganesh was a “bright agricultural student” and was studying to specialize in tissue culture, also known as cellular agriculture.

His family told the Kantipur news site that the last time they spoke to him was when he called them on Friday evening, worried about news of an earthquake in Nepal. Their family home had been damaged in the quake, they said, and he urged them not to stay in it if it was unsafe.

His father told the news outlet that the last thing he said to them was, “‘Don’t worry about me, you guys should stay safe.’ He came home as a dead body himself.”

A professor at the university where he was studying told Kantipur that “Ganesh’s ability was superior to others not only in studies but also in songs/music and literature. It is very sad to lose a very hardworking and promising young man who got along with everyone.”

On September 17, Ganesh posted a photo of himself arriving at Ben Gurion Airport, writing: “Looking for myself inside the crowd of millions.” In his profile, he described himself as a “future agriculturalist.”

After just settling into his new temporary home, Ganesh shared seven photos on Facebook on October 6, 2023, with the caption: “Night view of the Alumim, Israel,” adding in two Israeli flag emojis and a heart.

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