KATHMANDU: The body of Nepali hostage Bipin Joshi, who lost his life while held by Hamas in Israel, has been sent back to Nepal.
On Sunday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs paid tribute to Joshi during a farewell ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport.
The 23-year-old Joshi had displayed extraordinary bravery on October 7, 2023, during a Hamas attack in Kibbutz Alumim, trying to protect his friends. When grenades were thrown during the attack, he removed one, saving many lives, before being captured and taken to Gaza by Hamas.
Joshi had come to Israel as a student participating in an international agricultural training program under MASHAV. He had arrived about three weeks earlier to care for orange and lemon orchards.
The farewell ceremony was attended by Kibbutz Alumim residents, representatives from the Sdot Hanegev Regional Council, officials from the Nepali Embassy, MASHAV Director Einat Shlain, and other senior officials from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Government hostage affairs coordinator Gal Hirsch paid tribute to Bipin, saying, “We are sorry. This ending should not have been so tragic.” He added, “Bipin came to Israel to learn. Now we are returning him home with grief. He was a capable student, an extraordinary individual, and a courageous hero who fought until his last moment to save others.”
The Israeli army had brought the bodies of Bipin Joshi, Gai Ilawaj, Yossi Sharabi, and Captain Daniel Perez from Gaza to Israel with full honors on October 13.
Bipin’s family had been actively trying to secure his release over the past months. According to them, before his capture, Bipin had sent a message to his brother in English: “Take care of our family if something happens to me. Stay strong and always look toward the future.”
On October 7, while hiding in a bunker, Bipin and his friends posted a selfie on Facebook captioned “Bunker Time.” Within minutes, Hamas entered the bunker, killing two students and throwing grenades. Bipin removed one grenade, saving lives, though another explosion injured others.
After the attack, some Thai and Nepali students hid elsewhere, while Bipin stayed to rescue the injured, during which he and three Thai workers were captured by Hamas.
His fate remained uncertain for months. The family never gave up hope, and last week, under a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas, Bipin’s body was returned. His family in Nepal is now awaiting his arrival.
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