Bipin Joshi, the only Hindu abducted on Oct 7, has been confirmed dead. His body was handed to Israel by Hamas. Photos: X.
Bipin Joshi, the only Hindu, abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, has been confirmed dead, according to the reports. The body of a Nepalese student has been handed over to Israeli authorities by Hamas after 20 other living hostages were released. Joshi was in Israel’s Kibbutz Alumim as part of a student training programme when he was abducted.
Along with Joshi, Hamas handed over the bodies of three other dead hostages. His remains will be sent to Nepal after DNA testing. His last rites will be performed in Israel with the participation of the Nepali embassy.
The Nepali ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, on Monday confirmed that Joshi’s body was handed to authorities.
“The body of Bipin Joshi was handed over to Israeli authorities by Hamas and is being taken to Tel Aviv,” Pandit said.
Joshi was in Israel as a student under the Learn and Earn Programme. The flagship program is run by the Israeli Embassy in Kathmandu. Under this scheme, Nepali students travel to Israel for work and study. According to the reports, Joshi, along with 16 other Nepali students, was posted at Kibbutz Alumim, a farming community near the Gaza border.
In 2023, Hamas attacked the kibbutz on October 7. During that attack, ten Nepali students were killed, five were injured, and one escaped unhurt. However, Joshi was abducted by Hamas with a Thai national.
Also Read: Israeli Couple Reunites After Two Years With A ‘Kiss’, After Being Held In Hamas Captivity
Joshi was the only Hindu hostage held by Hamas, alongside other foreign nationals.
During the attack, Joshi displayed remarkable presence of mind. According to The Times of Israel, he deflected a grenade lobbed by the militants, a split-second act that may have saved his life and those of others around him.
Moments before his abduction, Joshi managed to send a series of messages to his cousin in Nepal.
“If something happens to me, you have to take care of my family. Be strong and always look toward the future,” he wrote in what would be his last known communication.
Also Read: Bipin Joshi, The Only Hindu Abducted By Hamas, His Name Is Missing From Hostage List, Here’s Why
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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