Kathmandu, Oct 9: A video of Nepali national Bipin Joshi, who has been held hostage by the Palestinian group Hamas for nearly two years, has surfaced online.
According to Israeli intelligence officials, the 33-second video was obtained from Hamas and later made public. In the clip, Bipin identifies himself as a Nepali citizen who had traveled to Israel under the “Earn and Learn” program. The exact date when the video was recorded remains unclear, though it is believed to be an old recording. He is seen wearing dark blue clothing in the footage.
Bipin Joshi, a student from Kanchanpur district, was abducted by Hamas militants during the October 7, 2023 attack on a Kibbutz area in Israel, in which raid 10 Nepali students were killed. Since then, his whereabouts and condition have remained unknown.
In efforts to locate him, the Nepali government facilitated a visit by Bipin’s mother and sister to Israel, who have since returned and are currently in the United States. Despite continued diplomatic efforts by the government, there has been little progress in securing his release.
Bipin’s family has expressed renewed hope after seeing the video. “This footage from Gaza — a proof of life — gives us unwavering faith that he is still alive,” the Joshi family said in a statement.
Family members confirmed that they had seen the video before it was made public but have not received any further information about his condition.
A Wall Street Journal report published in November 2023 had earlier detailed Bipin’s heroic actions during the attack, stating that he had helped save several lives by throwing out one of two grenades that landed inside a bunker. The second grenade exploded, severely injuring five of his friends.
The United States has brokered a Gaza Peace Plan in which all the remaining hostages (alive or dead) will be released soon (within days). A large crowd has assembled in Jerusalem to receive the hostages back, BBC reports. #nepal #bipinjoshi #hamas #hostage
