All hopes turn into tragedy as confirmation of Bipin Joshi’s death surfaces

Kathmandu: The lingering hope for the safe return of Bipin Joshi, believed to have been held captive by the Hamas militants in Palestine, has all but faded.

The Nepali Embassy in Israel has confirmed that Joshi is no more based on official communication from Israeli authorities.

Bipin was reportedly abducted by Hamas militants on October 10, 2023, from Kibbutz Alumim, an agricultural community in southern Israel. He had travelled to Israel under the “Learn and Earn” agricultural training programme.

Former Israeli ambassador to Nepal, Hanan Goder, has shared a post about Bipin’s death on social media. ‘Bipin Joshi is no longer with us. Two years of hope have now ended,’ he wrote, along with a photo taken with Joshi before the young man’s departure to Israel.

Multiple Israel-based media have also reported the news of his death. During the Hamas attacks, several Nepali students who numbered 10 who were part of the same programme also lost their lives.

Despite these confirmations, Joshi’s family in Bheemdatta municipality in Kanchanpur, Mahendranagar has yet to receive formal, physical evidence of his death. Although reports suggest that Hamas has initiated the process of handing over his body to the Israeli government, the family expresses unwillingness to accept the finality of the news until they see his remains.

‘Since the news broke yesterday, a heavy silence has settled over the village like a fog,’ said Mina Thagunna, ward member of Bheemdatt municipality-3. On Monday morning, the family connected via video conference with officials from the Nepali Embassy in Israel.

During the meeting, they were assured that any forthcoming developments would be shared without delay. Bipin’s father, Mahananda Joshi, remains in their hometown, holding onto fading hopes, while his mother, Padhma, and younger sister, Pushpa, are in the United States.

They had travelled there seeking international support for his release. They perhaps had never imagined the journey would end in mourning.

RSS