Father of Kerala man killed in Israel speaks: ‘Two weeks ago he mentioned another airstrike’

Nibin’s body will be taken to Tel Aviv on Wednesday before being brought to India.

Two others from the state – Joseph and Paul Melvin – were also injured after an anti-tank missile hit a moshav, an agricultural community, on Monday afternoon. Sources in Israel said the two are currently out of danger. The attack is believed to have been carried out by the Hezbollah.

Antony said the incident happened on Monday afternoon. “My eldest son Nivin, who is also employed in Israel, informed me that Nibin was injured in a missile attack. Later, his death was confirmed,” he added.

Nibin, who held an industrial training certificate, had been working with a manpower supply firm in the UAE. He quit that job in December to move to Israel when the country opened agricultural visas for Indians. He had left for Israel just two months ago. He is survived by his wife, who is in an advanced stage of pregnancy, and a five-year-old child.

“Nibin’s brother-in-law, who works as a caregiver in Israel, had helped him to get the job. A week after Nibin left for Israel, his brother Nivin also followed. Nivin, who worked at a private firm in Bengaluru, is also employed in the agricultural sector in Israel. The two moved to Israel considering the better prospects,” said Antony, whose youngest son is in the UAE.

Missile attacks on farm workers in Israel have caused panic among Indians employed in the sector. “Most Indians in Israel are caregivers, who work inside houses. They can run to shelters for cover when a siren is sounded. But those working in the farm sector are exposed to the attacks. Many Indians have taken up work in the farms here after people from other countries abandoned it in the wake of the war,” sources said.