Those we have lost

Padam Thapa, 20s: Nepali intern who was ‘enterprising and cheerful’

Murdered by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Alumim on October 7

Padam Thapa (Facebook)
Padam Thapa (Facebook)

Padam Thapa, of the Lamikhal village in the Doti district of western Nepal, was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7 in Kibbutz Alumim.

Padam was one of 10 Nepali students taking part in a “learn and earn” program to study and work in agriculture who were murdered on the kibbutz that day. Another, Bipin Joshi, is still missing and believed to be held captive in Gaza.

The group ran to a bomb shelter when the rocket fire began, and were slaughtered inside by a group of Hamas terrorists. Survivor Dhanbahadur Chaudhari told the Guardian that the terrorists threw grenades inside the bunker and fired volleys of bullets: “When I woke up I was covered in blood and I could see my friends dead and injured around me. One friend didn’t have legs, another didn’t have hands. There were dead bodies of my friends in the door of the bunker.”

Another survivor, KC Pramod, told the Guardian: “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.”

Padam’s body did not arrive back in Nepal for burial until November 5. He had been in Israel for less than a month to study agriculture and earn money when he was slain.

According to the Nepali Times, he sent his family a short text message amid the attack, writing: “I am dying.” His sister-in-law tried to call him back but could not reach him.

His family said he was the youngest of four siblings and “the most enterprising and cheerful.”

His uncle, Nabin Thapa, wrote on Facebook, “Rest in peace, vatij,” the Nepali word for nephew. “I have no words, Padam.”

According to his Facebook page, he studied at the Faculty of Agriculture in Far-Western University in Tikapur Kailali, Nepal, before coming to Israel.

A page for his home district of Doti posted “heartfelt tribute and respect to this young man who traveled abroad at a young age to improve his family situation.”

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