Kathmandu, September 21(HS): A photograph released by Hamas’ Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades on Saturday has confirmed that Nepali national Bipin Joshi, abducted during the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel, remains among the captives in Gaza. The rare glimpse has rekindled hope for his family and supporters, who had long been left in the dark about his fate.

Joshi, a young Nepali student, had travelled to Israel under the Learn and Earn programme to pursue agricultural studies and job opportunities. On October 7, 2023, while working with fellow Nepali students at an agricultural site in southern Israel, their camp came under attack by Hamas militants. Ten Nepali nationals were killed in the assault, while Joshi was taken hostage. Despite repeated appeals from Kathmandu and international agencies, no credible information on his condition had surfaced until the release of this latest picture.

For months, his family in Nepal has lived in anguish, clinging to scarce updates amid escalating violence in Gaza. The image, part of Hamas’ compilation of living and deceased captives, indicates that Joshi may still be alive, offering a fragile but significant lifeline of hope.

Nepal’s government has consistently demanded Joshi’s safe return through diplomatic channels, engaging with Israel and international mediators to press for his release. His abduction not only drew global attention but also underscored the vulnerability of foreign workers and students caught in conflict zones.

As Israel intensifies its ground offensive in Gaza, Joshi’s case symbolizes the human cost of the war, with his family and the Nepali public anxiously watching whether international efforts can bring him home.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar