Kathmandu, 11 Aug: The mother and sister of Bipin Joshi from Kanchanpur, who went missing after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, are traveling to Israel.
Bipin’s mother, Padma, and sister, Pushpa, are about to fly from Dubai to Israel in search of him, as he is believed to be held hostage by Hamas. They are currently at Tribhuvan International Airport.
Since Bipin has not been released for a long time, efforts are underway to seek intervention through the United Nations. For this purpose, they are heading to Israel.
Israel has adopted a strategy to bring Bipin’s family to the United Nations to increase pressure. Israeli Ambassador to Nepal, Shmulik Yari Bas, saw off Bipin’s mother and sister at the airport.
Padma and Pushpa will be in contact with the Nepalese embassy in Israel, and the remaining search efforts will begin from there. The embassy has also arranged their tickets.
Bipin Joshi, an agricultural student, had gone to Israel for the “Learning and Earning” program. Since Hamas attacked Israel, he has been out of contact since October 7, 2023 (20th Ashoj 2080 in the Nepali calendar). It is said that Hamas has taken him hostage. Friends who were with him have also testified that Hamas took him away.
Hostages’ families announce general strike next week in protest of government’s war strategy
Groups representing families of the hostages, slain soldiers, and victims of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre called Sunday for a general strike to be held August 17 to protest the continuation of the war and the government’s plan for a military takeover of Gaza City, which they fear could cost the hostages their lives and further IDF casualties.
The planned strike, which received backing from leading figures in the opposition, is being organized by the October Council, which represents families affected by Hamas’s attack.
However, it was not immediately clear if the main organization representing families, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, would back the strike, while the country’s main labor federation, the Histadrut, said that it would sit it out.
These developments follow the cabinet’s recent approval to capture Gaza City, despite military warnings that the operation could endanger hostages, put soldiers at unnecessary risk, and worsen the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
The general strike is scheduled for Sunday, August 17. During a press briefing in Tel Aviv, held near the Kirya military complex—which houses the military headquarters and the Defense Ministry—organizers called on private businesses, organizations, labor unions, and the public to take a day off and bring economic activity to a standstill.
Their stated aim is “to protect the lives of hostages and soldiers, and to prevent more families from experiencing loss.”
Anat Angrest, mother of Hamas hostage Matan Angrest, criticized the decision to occupy Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip, expressing concern that it will put those still held captive at greater risk.
“The government has chosen to occupy Gaza Strip and send soldiers closer to Matan. While they aim to bring him home, they are actually putting him in danger,” she stated.
Recalling last September’s tragic events, where six hostages were killed in a tunnel by Hamas militants as Israeli forces approached, she warned that the newly approved plan to seize Gaza City—greenlit last Thursday night—could result in a similar fate for her son.
“The army’s advance came as efforts toward a deal were breaking down; in addition, dozens of hostages who were taken alive were subsequently killed in captivity due to military pressure,” she added.
