More than two years after being kidnapped during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, the body of Bipin Joshi, a Nepalese Hindu student hailed for his bravery, has been returned to Israel.
His death was confirmed on Monday as part of the latest Gaza ceasefire deal, overshadowing celebrations over the release of 20 living hostages.
Joshi, then 22, had travelled from Nepal for an agricultural training programme at Kibbutz Alumim, a community near the Gaza border. He was the only non-Israeli and the only Hindu hostage believed to have been alive in Gaza.
Nepal’s Ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, told Republica that “the body of Bipin Joshi was handed over to Israeli authorities by Hamas and is being taken to Tel Aviv.” Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin also confirmed that Hamas had returned the bodies of four hostages, including Joshi’s. DNA testing will be conducted before his remains are repatriated to Nepal, with funeral arrangements expected in coordination with the Nepali embassy in Tel Aviv.
A hero who saved lives
Joshi’s journey to Israel began in September 2023 when he joined 16 other students for a farm training programme at Kibbutz Alumim. But on the morning of October 7, that educational trip turned into horror.
As Hamas militants stormed the kibbutz, Joshi and his classmates took shelter in a bunker. When grenades were thrown inside, Joshi reportedly picked up one live grenade and hurled it out before it exploded, saving several of his classmates, according to Times of Israel.
He was injured in the assault and later captured by Hamas fighters. In the following days, video footage released by the Israeli military appeared to show him being dragged into Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, his last known sighting alive.
Hamas hands over bodies
On Monday, Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades announced the names of four deceased hostages, Bipin Joshi, Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, and Daniel Peretz. Their bodies were handed over to Israel as part of a ceasefire deal that also saw 20 living hostages released to the Red Cross.
According to PTI, Joshi had been the only Hindu and the only foreign student still believed to be alive in Hamas captivity. Israeli authorities have so far declared 26 hostages dead based on forensic evidence and intelligence.
A family’s long wait for closure
Joshi’s mother and younger sister, Pushpa, had travelled multiple times to Kathmandu, Israel, and the United States to campaign for his release, their quiet determination making them symbols of resilience.
The 22-year-old would have turned 25 on October 26 this year. In August, his family met Israeli President Isaac Herzog as part of a delegation of hostage families. Just last week, they released a video showing Joshi in captivity, filmed in November 2023.
Ten of the 17 Nepali students in his group were killed in the October 7 attack.
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