Hamas-abducted Bipin Joshi confirmed dead

Kathmandu, Oct. 13

The last hopes of welcoming Bipin Joshi home have been dashed with the Palestinian armed group Hamas confirming his death while in hostage.

"Hamas releases the names of four dead hostages whose bodies the terror group is expected to transfer to the Red Cross today. The hostages are Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and Daniel Perez," The Times of Israel reported on Monday evening.

However, the statement does not specify when the transfer will take place.

Bipin from Kanchanpur in Nepal was in Israel to participate in Israel's 'Learn and Earn Programme' and was held captive by the Palestinian armed outfit Hamas – listed as a terrorist organisation in several Western countries as well as in Japan and Australia – since October 7, 2023. 

He was abducted in less than a month after he reached Israel under the government-to-government programme at the age of 24.

He was among the 49 students who reached in Israel in September 2023 (Bhadra 2080) after completing their final-year examinations at the Tikapur Agriculture Campus under Far Western University.

Ten Nepali students lost their lives during the attack on 7 October that year while Bipin was held hostage along with around 251 people including foreign nationals from more than 40 countries such as Thailand, the USA, the United Kingdom, France and Argentina. About 1,200 were killed on the spot in the terrorist attack.

According to media reports, a total of 168 people were released alive while 83 were killed or died in captivity.

"It had been expected that Bipin would be included in the list of hostages to be released," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement issued on Monday evening.

According to the MoFA, at 10:15 AM Nepali local time on Monday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) organised a virtual meeting with the Ambassador of Nepal to Israel Dhan Prasad Pandit, Bipin's brother, mother, and sister, as well as officials from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office.

During the meeting, it was informed that Bipin's name was not included among those hostages to be released and that his current condition remained unknown.

The Nepali Embassy in Israel said that the government there confirmed the death of Bipin.

Under the first phase of the proposed Middle East Peace Plan, proposed by the United States of America and aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hamas that began on 7 October 2023, an exchange of hostages took place.

But Bipin was not in any of the lists of people released in a phase-wise manner. He was seen in a video after a month in November 17, 2023 at the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

In its statement, the MoFA said that the Government of Nepal has made every possible effort at various levels over the past two years to secure his safe release. It also said that continued updates on this matter until the process of handing over the dead bodies of the hostages held by Hamas and transferring the bodies of deceased captives is fully completed.

The news came like a disaster to Bipin's family and also to Nepali people and well-wishers abroad, whose hopes to see him alive were further heightened by international and national media reports that he was included in the final list of hostages being released.

Initially published by a few Western media, including The Washington Post, the news was prominently published and circulated by Nepali media, YouTube channels and social media influencers.

Bipin's family complained that they have been distressed by the spread of various unverified reports and rumours circulating on social media and in the press.

Bipin's family – mother Padma, father Mahananda, cousin Kishor and sister Pushpa – had put their utmost efforts to obtain the whereabouts of Bipin and secure his release from the captivity.

Pushpa travelled to Israel and the USA to meet Nepali officials, and Israel's ambassador. In August this year, Pushpa and her mother travelled to Israel to lobby for Bipin’s release.

The Government of Nepal had initiated multiple efforts to secure Bipin's release. Foreign ministers talked with Qatar's minister who was chief negotiator in peace talks with Hamas. The MoFA had also support of Egypt, another country involved in similar ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, in facilitating the release.

Likewise, multiple meeting with Israel's ambassador to Nepal, Shmulik Arie Bass whiel former Foreign Ministers Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba and NP Saud talked to their Israeli counterpart. Nepal's prime ministers raised the issue at the international forums while President Ramchandra Paudel wrote to King Abdullah II of Jordan in August this year requesting his support in identifying Bipin Joshi’s condition, ensuring his safe release, and facilitating his return to Nepal. 

  Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 14 October 2025.