KATHMANDU: The mother and sister of Bipin Joshi, the Nepali student who had been held captive by Hamas militants since the October 7 attack in Israel last year, returned home on Thursday morning after his death was officially confirmed.
They arrived in Kathmandu aboard a Qatar Airways flight, empty-handed and grief-stricken, following weeks of uncertainty over Joshi’s fate.
Joshi, who was pursuing his studies in Israel under the Learn and Earn program, was among the 10 Nepali students affected during the Hamas assault. While nine of his peers were killed on the spot, Joshi had remained unaccounted for, raising hopes that he might be alive in captivity.
His family had travelled to the United States seeking diplomatic support for his safe release, but the recent confirmation of his death dashed those hopes.
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier stated that Israeli authorities confirmed Joshi’s death after conducting DNA tests on remains recovered from Gaza. The government has expressed condolences to the bereaved family and said efforts are ongoing to repatriate his remains.
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