Fact-Check: Viral List of 17 Names Does Not Show Indians Kidnapped by Hamas

The photo shows a list of Nepali nationals in Israel who were either injured or killed in the Israel-Hamas war.

A photo showing a list of 17 names and their current status of health or life has gone viral on social media, where users are claiming that it shows a list of Indians who have been kidnapped by Hamas in Israel.

• It adds that 10 of the 17 people have been killed or executed.

(Archives of more posts with the same claim can be seen here and here.)

Is it true?: No. The photo shows a list of Nepali citizens in Israel, who were either injured or killed as a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

How did we find out?: We noticed that the address column mentioned places such as Salyan, Kailali, Doti, and Gorkha, among others. 

• A simple keyword search told us that all of them were places in Nepal.

• Taking a cue from this, we ran a keyword search with one of the names, adding Nepal as a search term. The result showed us a report by The Economic Times, which mentioned that 10 Nepali nationals were confirmed dead amid the Israel-Hamas war.

• The names of the deceased mentioned in this article matches the names listed as deceased in the viral claim.

Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: In a press release dated 10 October 2023, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that 10 of their citizens were killed in Israel and that both governments were working together to return their mortal remains to Nepal.

• A newer press release published on 15 October by Nepal’s embassy in Israel confirms the name of five deceased citizens, stating that their bodies had been sent back to Nepal.

Conclusion: A list of 17 names is going viral with the false claim that it shows Indians who were kidnapped, killed, or executed by Hamas.

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