new delhi, oct 14
Bipin Joshi dead: Tragedy has struck Nepal as Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student abducted by Hamas, has been declared dead by Israeli authorities. Israeli officials received caskets that, according to Hamas, contained the remains of four hostages, including Joshi. Nepal’s Ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, confirmed to the media that Joshi’s body is now being transported to Tel Aviv. “We have received information about Bipin’s body being handed over to Israeli authorities. It is on its way to Tel Aviv and should arrive within a few hours,” Pandit said. Israeli authorities will carry out a DNA test to confirm Joshi’s identity before the remains are repatriated to Nepal. Following identification, formal final rites will be conducted by Israel in coordination with the Nepali embassy before the body is sent home. Bipin Joshi, 24, had traveled to Israel from Nepal just a month before the October 7, 2023, attacks. He was part of a student exchange program at Kibbutz Alumim near the Gaza border, where he studied and worked in agriculture. Out of 17 Nepali students in the program, ten were killed during the attacks. During the assault, Joshi showed extraordinary bravery, reportedly throwing live grenades out of the bomb shelter where he and others were hiding. He was injured in the process. For months, his family held onto hope especially after Israeli forces recovered a video from Gaza. The video showed him alive in captivity. Yet, his name was not included in the latest group of hostages scheduled for release, leaving his family in anguish.
Joshi’s younger sister, 17-year-old Pushpa Joshi, had been tirelessly campaigning for her brother’s safety. In August, Joshi’s family even traveled to Israel. They met President Isaac Herzog and joined other families demonstrating in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square. Last week, they released a video of Bipin filmed under duress in captivity around November 2023.
