Local mob strikes Israeli with iron club in suspected nationalist assault, narrowly avoiding fatal outcome.
Almog Armouza, 25, from Gedera, survived a near-fatal ambush in Kathmandu Monday night after a gang of local assailants struck him in the head with an iron club, chasing him through an alley in what may have been a nationalist hate attack.
Armouza had been walking toward the Israeli hostel when he recorded a brief voice message in Hebrew. Moments later, he was blindsided.
“They hit me in the head with an iron club. If I hadn’t run, I might not be alive,” he recounted.
According to Armouza, three to five attackers rushed him from behind. One grabbed his coat while another smashed his skull a second time, splitting his head open and causing severe bleeding.
Realizing he was fighting for his life, he managed to kick one of the attackers, break free, and sprint toward the Israeli hostel — known to be guarded.
“They chased me, but when they saw I was nearing the hostel with security, they ran.”
Bleeding heavily, Armouza called police and was rushed to a local hospital, where he received stitches, emergency care, and an MRI scan.
“I lost almost a liter of blood. This was an attack meant to kill.”
Chabad emissary: signs point to a nationalist motive
Rabbi Hezki Lifshitz, the Chabad emissary in Kathmandu accompanying Armouza at the hospital, said the circumstances strongly suggest a targeted attack.
“He was struck from behind with no provocation. Logic suggests a nationalist motive.”
He emphasized that the assault appeared organized, with attackers arriving equipped and coordinated.
The area is covered by security cameras, and authorities are expected to identify the attackers shortly.
This incident adds to growing concerns about hostile acts against visibly Jewish or Israeli travelers abroad, particularly during times of heightened geopolitical tension.
