Bipin Joshi's body handed over to Israel; Nepali hostage confirmed to have died in captivity

Gaza: Tragedy struck the family of Bipin Joshi, a Nepalese Hindu student, as it was confirmed that he died while held captive by Hamas. Joshi had been kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel.

The recent release of 20 hostages by Hamas following a ceasefire deal had initially brought relief and joy to families. However, for Bipin’s family, the news turned tragic when he was identified among four deceased hostages returned on Monday.

Bipin is being remembered as a hero for his actions during the attack. Eyewitnesses reported that when a grenade was thrown into a shelter where he and others were hiding, Bipin bravely picked it up and threw it outside, saving many lives.

He had come to Israel as part of a student exchange programme, and was studying agriculture at Kibbutz Alumim, near the Gaza border.

Earlier, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) recovered video that Bipin's family had released showing him in Hamas captivity, believed to have been taken in November 2023.