Nepali student Bipin, the sole Hindu held captive by Hamas, confirmed dead after 738 days in captivity
Bipin Joshi, a 23-year-old Nepali student and the only Hindu among hostages held by Hamas, has been confirmed dead, more than two years after he was kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel. The announcement comes as a US-brokered Middle East ceasefire facilitated the release of 20 living hostages by Hamas, though the news of Joshi’s death cast a shadow over the otherwise hopeful development.
Joshi had recently moved to Israel to participate in the "Learn and Earn" agricultural program, joining 16 other Nepali students at Kibbutz Alumim near the Gaza border. The program offered practical training in Israeli farming techniques. During the attack, Joshi displayed extraordinary courage by intercepting a grenade thrown into the shelter where he and his fellow students were hiding, saving several lives, although 10 of his peers were killed.
Weeks after his abduction, reports and a video had surfaced showing Joshi alive, giving his family and authorities hope. In the video, he introduced himself: “My name is Bipin Joshi. I am from Nepal. I am 23 years old. I came here for the 'Learn and Earn' program. I am a student.”
On Monday, Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, announced that the bodies of four hostages would be returned to Israel, identifying Joshi among the deceased along with Guy Ilouz, Yossi Sharabi, and Daniel Peretz.
Nepali Ambassador to Israel Dhana Prasad Pandit, along with Joshi’s sister Pushpa and relative Kishor Joshi, were briefed by Israeli officials via video conference at 7:30 am local time. Red Cross representatives are on their way to retrieve the bodies, which will undergo DNA testing before being repatriated to Nepal.
Joshi’s mother Padma and sister Pushpa had traveled to Israel multiple times, meeting top officials including President Isaac Herzog and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, urging urgent action for his release.
Over the past two years, Nepali authorities engaged with governments in Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, and the US to secure his safe return. Despite these efforts, Joshi’s name was not among the hostages released earlier on Monday. According to Pandit, international teams had spent months searching Gaza’s approximately 400-mile network of tunnels in hopes of locating deceased captives.
Israeli officials confirmed that Joshi’s fate is now definitively known, and his body will be returned to his family for final rites in coordination with the Nepali embassy.
Joshi’s family said that the 2023 video had kept their hope alive over the years. Messages he had sent to relatives before his abduction reflected his concern for them: “If something happens to me, you have to take care of my family. Be strong and always look toward the future.”
