Israeli intelligence officials released a video on Wednesday evening, claiming it was received from Hamas and shows Nepali citizen Bipin Joshi, who was taken hostage during the October 7 Hamas attack on the Kibbutz region in Israel.
Joshi’s family expressed renewed hope after seeing the footage, saying, “This proof of life received from Gaza, which we are sharing with all of you today, has given us unshakable faith that he is alive.”
Originally from Kanchanpur, Nepal, Bipin had gone to Israel under the ‘Earn and Learn’ program. During the October 7 attack, ten Nepali students were killed, and Bipin was abducted by Hamas militants. Since then, his condition had remained unknown.
Family Gains Renewed Hope as Proof of Life Emerges
Earlier, Bipin’s mother and sister had traveled to Israel at the government’s initiative to help locate him but later returned. They are currently in the United States. Despite continued diplomatic efforts by the Nepali government, there has been little progress in securing Bipin’s release.
The 33-second video, released Wednesday evening, shows Bipin identifying himself as a Nepali citizen and mentioning his participation in the ‘Earn and Learn’ program. The video’s date remains unclear, but observers suggest it might be an older recording, as Bipin appears in dark blue clothing.
His family confirmed they had been shown the video before it was made public but said they have not received any further information since.
According to a Wall Street Journal report from November 2023, Bipin played a crucial role in saving the lives of others hiding in the shelter during the attack. The report states that when two grenades were thrown into their bunker, Bipin managed to grab one and throw it out before it exploded, though the second grenade injured five of his companions.
Hamas fighters then abducted Bipin and took him to Gaza, where he was reportedly kept at Al-Shifa Hospital. A video of him there had also surfaced previously, but there had been no trace of him since.
Recently, Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza six hours after U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning. According to Hamas’s Friday night announcement, the group is prepared to release all 48 hostages, whether alive or deceased, and also to relinquish control of Gaza’s administration.
Bipin Joshi’s name and photo were included in Hamas’s “farewell list” of hostages, raising renewed hope among Nepalis that information about his condition may soon be officially confirmed.
