KATHMANDU: The mother and sister of Bipin Joshi, who has been held hostage by Hamas since October 2023, left for Israel on Monday to push for his release.
Bipin’s mother Padma Joshi and sister Pushpa departed on a FlyDubai flight at 9 am, facilitated by the Israeli Embassy in Kathmandu. Witnesses at Tribhuvan International Airport said the two were visibly emotional, breaking into tears as they entered the departure area.
The visit aims to increase international pressure for Bipin’s release. Israel plans to take Padma and Pushpa to the United Nations as part of its campaign to secure the freedom of hostages still in Gaza.
Bipin, who had traveled to Israel under the ‘Learn and Earn’ agricultural study program, was abducted by Hamas from a kibbutz in southern Israel during the October 7, 2023 attack. Ten other Nepali students who were with him were killed in the assault, which left around 1,200 people dead in total.
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