More than two years after he was kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel, the body of Bipin Joshi - a Nepalese Hindu student whose bravery saved his classmates - has been returned to Israel.
His death was confirmed on Monday as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, overshadowing celebrations over the release of 20 living hostages.
Joshi, who was 22 at the time of the attack, had travelled from Nepal for a farm training programme at Kibbutz Alumim, near the Gaza border.
He was the only non-Israeli and the only Hindu hostage believed to be alive in Gaza. His remains were handed over to Israeli authorities by Hamas late Monday night, Nepal’s Ambassador to Israel Dhan Prasad Pandit confirmed to Republica. “The body of Bipin Joshi was handed over to Israeli authorities by Hamas and is being taken to Tel Aviv,” Pandit said.
Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin also confirmed that Hamas had returned the bodies of four hostages, including Joshi’s. DNA testing will be carried out before his remains are repatriated to Nepal. His funeral expected to be performed in Israel in coordination with the Nepali embassy.
Kidnapped after saving lives
Joshi’s Israel journey began in September 2023 when he joined 16 other students for an agricultural study and work programme at Kibbutz Alumim, a community close to the Gaza border. The initiative offered Nepali students hands-on training in Israeli farming practices.
{{/usCountry}}Joshi’s Israel journey began in September 2023 when he joined 16 other students for an agricultural study and work programme at Kibbutz Alumim, a community close to the Gaza border. The initiative offered Nepali students hands-on training in Israeli farming practices.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Hamas releases 7 Israeli hostages. Here's who they are
On the morning of October 7, that dream turned into a nightmare. As Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack, the students took shelter in a bomb bunker.
When grenades were thrown inside, Joshi grabbed one live grenade and hurled it out before it exploded, saving several lives, according to Times of Israel. He was injured in the attack and subsequently captured by Hamas gunmen and taken into Gaza.
In the days that followed, video footage released by the Israeli military appeared to show Joshi being dragged into Gaza’s Shifa Hospital - the last known sighting of him alive.
His mother and younger sister, Pushpa, travelled multiple times to Kathmandu, Israel and the United States to lobby for his release, becoming a symbol of quiet resilience. Joshi would have turned 25 on October 26.
Hamas hands over bodies
On Monday, Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades released the names of four deceased hostages: Bipin Joshi, Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi and Daniel Peretz. Their bodies were handed over as part of a ceasefire deal that also saw 20 living hostages released to the Red Cross, which then brought them to Israel.
According to PTI, Joshi had been the only Hindu and the only foreign student still believed to be alive in captivity. Twenty-six hostages have been formally declared dead by Israeli authorities based on forensics and intelligence.
Bipin Joshi remembered as a hero
Joshi’s courage on the morning of the attack has been widely acknowledged in Nepal and Israel. Ten of the 17 Nepali students in his programme were killed that day. For nearly two years, his family kept his story alive - travelling abroad, lobbying officials, and joining weekly protests at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square.
In August this year, they met Israel’s President Isaac Herzog as part of a delegation of hostage families. Just last week, they released footage of Joshi filmed under duress in captivity in November 2023.