Background: A Nepali student-turned-hostage
Bipin Joshi, a Nepali citizen, arrived in Israel about a month before the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, on a student exchange program to study and work in agriculture at Kibbutz Alumim near the Gaza border. He was one of 17 Nepali students in the program, ten of whom were killed during the assault. Joshi stood out as a survivor after he managed to throw live grenades during the chaos in the bomb shelter, but he was subsequently kidnapped and remained missing for months.
Latest development: Hamas hands over bodies to Israel
Israeli authorities were informed by Hamas that four hostages had been killed and their bodies would be handed over. Nepal’s Ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, confirmed to Republica that Bipin Joshi’s remains were being transported to Tel Aviv and would be subject to a DNA test to confirm his identity. Once verified, the body would be flown back to Nepal after formal rites were conducted by the Israeli government and coordinated with the Nepali embassy.
The search for justice and closure in Nepal
Joshi’s family has long pursued every possible avenue to secure his release or obtain information about his fate. His sister, Pushpa Joshi, travels eight hours by bus to Kathmandu from western Nepal to lobby officials for her brother’s release, a testament to the personal toll of the hostage crisis. In August, the family met with President Isaac Herzog and joined other families demonstrating in Tel Aviv, underscoring the sustained desire for justice and closure.
Timeline and context
Joshi’s experience reflects the broader and deeply fraught hostage situation linked to the Gaza conflict. Initially believed to be alive after a video surfaced in Gaza showing him in captivity, his status remained uncertain as the year progressed. Hamas released some hostages while Israel freed a large number of Palestinian prisoners in a separate exchange. The situation has continued to shift as negotiations and ceasefire efforts unfold, with international leaders weighing the terms of any agreement.
What comes next?
The process now centers on confirming Joshi’s identity through DNA tests and arranging the repatriation to Nepal. Before the body returns home, final rites will be performed by the Israeli government in coordination with Nepal’s embassy. Families like Joshi’s continue to call for accountability, transparency, and a path to justice after such traumatic events.
Broader implications: Trauma, diplomacy, and memory
Cases like Bipin Joshi’s underscore the human cost of protracted conflicts and hostage crises. They also illuminate the delicate patchwork of diplomacy required to repatriate remains across borders, honor the dead, and support grieving relatives left behind. As Nepal processes this loss, the international community watches for how ceasefire agreements and humanitarian commitments will protect civilians and prevent further tragedy.
