The body of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student kidnapped by Hamas more than two years ago, was returned to Israel on Monday, after a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire. The historic truce saw Hamas release 20 living hostages, while Israel freed over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in a bid to stabilise the ceasefire.

Nepal's Ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, confirmed to Nepali media outlet Republica that Joshi's remains were en route to Tel Aviv late Monday night. "The body of Bipin Joshi was handed over to Israeli authorities by Hamas and is being taken to Tel Aviv," Pandit said. Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin also verified that Hamas had transferred the bodies of four hostages, including Joshi, to Israeli custody. DNA testing will be conducted before the remains are repatriated to Nepal, with final rites to be held in Israel in coordination with the Nepali embassy.

Joshi, a 24-year-old Nepali Hindu, had travelled to Israel in September 2023 to participate in an agricultural study and work programme at Kibbutz Alumim, near the Gaza border. The programme offered hands-on training in Israeli farming techniques for a group of 17 students, including 16 fellow Nepalis.

The opportunity turned tragic on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel. As sirens blared, the students took shelter in a bomb shelter. Gunfire and explosions soon followed. According to reports, Joshi acted heroically by throwing a live grenade out of the shelter before it could detonate, saving the lives of several students. He was then captured by Hamas gunmen and taken into Gaza.

In the immediate aftermath, video footage from the Israeli military appeared to show Joshi being dragged into Gaza's Shifa Hospital, marking his last known sighting alive. Despite ongoing efforts by his family, including his mother and 17-year-old sister Pushpa Joshi, who regularly travelled eight hours to Kathmandu to lobby officials, Joshi remained in captivity. In August 2024, the family even visited Israel to meet President Isaac Herzog and joined other families demonstrating in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square. Footage of Joshi in captivity, filmed under duress around November 2023, was released by his family last week.

Joshi was the only non-Israeli student believed to be alive in Gaza following the attack. Ten of the 17 Nepali students in the programme were killed during the assault, which claimed lives across the Kibbutz Alumim area.

Hamas released the names of four hostages killed in captivity whose bodies are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross: Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and Daniel Perez. Israel had expressed “grave concern” for Joshi since his abduction. Illouz died in a Gaza hospital after being taken from the Nova festival, reportedly due to lack of medical treatment. Perez, 22, a platoon commander in Israel's 7th Armoured Brigade’s 77th Battalion, was killed during the October 7 attack. Sharabi, 53, was abducted from his home and killed while in captivity.

The developments came amid the Trump-led Middle East peace summit, which resulted in a ceasefire agreement signed by regional leaders, including representatives from the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. Following the signing, Trump called himself a dealmaker and claimed the agreement could be the “greatest,” highlighting the historic nature of the deal and the unity displayed by the leaders.

(With inputs from AP)