KATHMANDU: Nepali national Bipin Joshi has been confirmed alive, according to the latest list of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. His name appeared on the list of living hostages ahead of their expected release on Monday, as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
The Times of Israel and Washington Post reported that Bipin is among those confirmed to be alive. Earlier, CNN had listed his status as “unknown,” but updated lists published by The Washington Post, The Times of Israel, and the Associated Press have now confirmed that he is alive.
All hostages currently believed to be alive are men, most of them in their 20s and 30s. Previous phases of the ceasefire saw the release of women, children, and men over the age of 50.
Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student, was abducted while working in a field at the Alumim kibbutz in southern Israel. His family has confirmed receiving a video, recently recovered by Israeli forces in Gaza, which shows that he is alive. The footage is believed to have been recorded in November 2023.
“We are more convinced that Bipin is alive after watching the video,” the Hostage Families Forum said in a statement. Israeli officials had previously voiced serious concerns about his condition, according to The Times of Israel.
Bipin Joshi arrived in Israel from Nepal a month before the attack. He came to Israel on a student exchange to work and study agriculture at Kibbutz Alumim on the Gaza border.
Ten of the 17 Nepali students in the program were killed during the attack. Joshi, who was able to throw a number of live grenades out of the bomb shelter where they were hiding, was injured and kidnapped.
Earlier this week, Joshi’s family released a video of him that was filmed shortly after he was abducted in the October 7, 2023, attack.
Joshi’s sister, 17-year-old Pushpa Joshi, regularly travels eight hours each way on buses to Kathmandu from her home in western Nepal to lobby officials to secure her brother’s release.
In August, his family traveled to Israel to meet with President Isaac Herzog and join families demonstrating in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, The Times of Israel reported.
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