The Middle East peace summit led by US President Donald Trump is headed towards a historic Gaza peace deal, including the release of 20 surviving hostages by Hamas. This success has been overshadowed by a disappointing development. The body of Nepali Hindu student Bipin Joshi, who was kidnapped by Hamas more than two years ago, has been returned to Israel. Nepal’s ambassador to Israel Dhan Prasad Pandit confirmed to Nepali media outlet Republica that Joshi’s body was on its way to Tel Aviv late on Monday night.
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Pandit said that Bipin Joshi’s body has been handed over to Israeli authorities by Hamas and is being taken to Tel Aviv. Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin also confirmed that Hamas had returned the bodies of four hostages, including Joshi, to Israeli custody. DNA testing will be done before the remains are sent back to Nepal and the last rites will be performed in Israel in coordination with the Nepali Embassy. Joshi’s journey from a small town in Nepal to the conflict zone of Gaza began in September 2023, when he joined 16 fellow students for an agricultural study and work program at Kibbutz Alumim near the Gaza border. The purpose of the program was to provide practical training in Israeli agricultural practices – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young students.
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That occasion turned tragic on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel. Sirens began to sound and students took cover in a bomb shelter. Moments later, gunfire and explosions began. Hamas militants threw grenades into the shelter. One grenade exploded, injuring several students, but Joshi took immediate action, catching the second grenade and throwing it before it exploded, saving several lives. He was later captured by Hamas gunmen and taken to Gaza. In the days that followed, video footage released by the Israeli military showed Joshi being dragged to Gaza’s Shifa hospital, the last known sighting of him alive. His friends and family held out hope for his safe return, while his mother and sister went to Israel and the United States to plead for his release.