Parents of Bipin await son’s release amid Israel-Hamas truce

November 30, Kathmandu: The parents of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student who was among those taken hostage by Hamas militants during their October 7 attack in southern Israel, are living in a state of constant anxiety.

The attack, which saw around 3,000 militants breach the Gaza–Israel barrier and launch a barrage of rockets, resulted in the death of 1200 Israelis, mostly civilians. An estimated 240 individuals, including Joshi, were taken as hostages.

The attack also claimed the lives of ten Nepali students. Since then, Bipin’s parents and other family members have been closely following every piece of news coming from Israel.

Their hopes were raised when Israel and Hamas agreed on a four-day truce on November 24, mediated by Qatar. The truce was increased by two more days. The truce deal included an exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Hostages have been released in groups of a dozen or so each day in exchange for groups of Palestinian prisoners. Despite these releases, there has been no news about Bipin, which has only served to heighten his parents’ anxiety.

In their desperation, Bipin’s parents met with Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash Saud, who was in his home district Kanchanpur on Wednesday and requested he take immediate initiatives for the safe release of their son.

Bipin’s father, Mahananda, expressed his frustration, stating that Bipin should have already been released had the government made vigorous efforts from the beginning.

Minister Saud, during his meeting with Joshi’s parents, pledged to intensify efforts at the government level to ensure Bipin’s release.

According to the Minister’s Secretariat, Saud is set to visit Qatar on December 9. During his visit, he will request Qatari officials to take special initiatives for Bipin’s release. On November 24, Saud urged Qatar’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, to take initiatives for Bipin’s release. The Qatari minister assured him of his prompt initiation for Joshi’s release. _^RSS