As celebrations erupt over the return of hostages under the first phase of the Gaza truce, one family in Nepal waits in quiet anguish. For more than two years, they have kept their eyes on the door, yearning to see their son, Bipin Joshi.Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, a Hindu family is hoping for their son Bipin Joshi, who was just working on a farm, to return home. Bipin’s elder brother, Kishor Joshi, said on Monday that he had spoken with Israeli officials earlier in the day regarding the ongoing situation. “I spoke with Israeli officials this morning. Hamas has officially announced the names of 20 hostages to be released, and Bipin’s name is not among them,” he told Kantipur Daily in a phone interview. “Still, we have hope that my brother will return. There is no reason to lose faith yet.” Kishor expressed pain over the widespread speculation and unverified reports circulating on social media about his brother’s fate. “We have suffered deeply before, and now the uncertainty continues to hurt us,” he said. “But we remain hopeful. We believe Bipin will come back.”
How only ‘Hindu’ hostage has gone missing
Nepali student Joshi was abducted by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Alumim, Israel, where he was studying farming. He was part of a group of Nepali students who had arrived in Israel only three weeks earlier under an academic programme to care for orange and lemon orchards, according to Ynet. On the day of the attack, Joshi hid in a safe room and deflected a grenade thrown by the terrorists. He remained in the room to assist individuals wounded by another grenade. During the attack, he sent several messages to his cousin in English, writing, “If something happens to me, you have to take care of my family. Be strong and always see the future.”
Family makes effort to find Bipin
In August, Padma Joshi and her sister Pushpa visited Israel for the first time since the October 7 attack. Upon arriving at Ben Gurion Airport, Padma Joshi tearfully pleaded, “Please, rescue my son. Hamas, bring [him] back home now. Please, return [him] home, Hamas. Please. Please.” Waiting for the family were four friends of Bipin Joshi, who had studied with him at a university in Nepal and traveled with him to Israel in September 2023. These friends were wounded during the October 7 attack but managed to avoid captivity, Times of Israel reported. The President of the Israeli college where Bipin studied agriculture also welcomed the family. Nepal’s Ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, sat alongside Pushpa and Padma Joshi, the sister and mother of Hamas captive Bipin Joshi, at a hostage families’ tent in Jerusalem on August 17-2025. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum/Courtesy) Days later, the family protested outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, accompanied by Ambassador Pandit. Pushpa Joshi addressed the crowd at the tent, saying, “After we return to Nepal, please don’t forget Bipin Joshi, please keep supporting us, and please raise [your] voice for my brother. I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for this support, for giving me strength and hope.” Pandit added that the Nepali govt is still “not sure about the situation and condition of Bipin. This is a really big concern.” Go to Source
