Nepali national held captive by Hamas confirmed dead

Nepali national, Bipin Joshi has been confirmed dead after he was held captive by Hamas in October 2023. Joshi was not included on the list published by Hamas of the 20 living hostages to be released during Monday's exchange of hostages held by Hamas and prisoners held by Israel.

Joshi, a Nepalese agriculture student, was in Israel under a student exchange program when Hamas launched its attack on October 7, 2023. During the assault, ten Nepalis were killed, five were seriously injured, and one managed to escape unhurt. Bipin was taken hostage by Hamas.

A recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas had raised hopes for the release of hostages, including Joshi.

However, Nepal’s Ambassador to Israel, Dhana Prasad Pandit, confirmed to WION that Israeli authorities have informed the Nepali government of Joshi’s death.

“The Israeli IDF informed us over a video call that Bipin Joshi is not alive. At the very same time, the families were informed too. We are coordinating to locate his body and we might receive some update by the end of the day,” Ambassador Pandit told WION over the phone from Israel.

“Israeli forces have told us that Hamas has not been able to locate a few bodies, but we hope we can get Joshi’s,” he added.

The location of his body remains unknown, delaying the repatriation process. The ambassador stated that efforts to locate the body are ongoing.

Joshi's family had been tirelessly campaigning for his release for two years, raising their voice in Israel, the US, and within Nepal, but their efforts ended in heartbreak.

Joshi’s sister Pushpa and mother, Padma, are currently in the US advocating for his release.

Earlier, they visited Israel and met with the government officials including the President urging his release. Israeli President Isaac Herzog voiced a strong call for the release of Bipin Joshi from Hamas captivity.

Over the past two years, successive Nepali governments including presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, and ambassadors made continuous diplomatic efforts to secure his release.