Hopes that Nepali student Bipin Joshi remained alive were dashed on Monday as Hamas confirmed his death, two years after his abduction by the group.
Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, said in a statement that they would hand over the body of Joshi, along with three other fatalities identified as Guy Ilouz, Yossi Sharabi and Daniel Perez.
Following the unfortunate news, Nepali ambassador to Israel Dhan Prasad Pandit told My Republica via phone that the body of Joshi was en route to Tel Aviv for forensic testing and was expected to arrive by Monday midnight.
“We have received information about the body of Bipin handed over to Israeli authorities by Hamas, and it is being taken to Tel Aviv and will arrive in a few hours,” he said.
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DNA test confirms Bipin’s death
Later, Israeli officials confirmed that the body recovered from Gaza was Joshi’s after conducting a DNA test, which was cross-checked with DNA samples provided by his mother and sister during their visit to Israel.
The forensic test also revealed that Bipin had likely died around the end of 2023, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the national military of Israel, the Kathmandu Post reported.
“Bipin was abducted at the age of 23 from a shelter in Kibbutz Alumim by Hamas. It is assessed that he was murdered in captivity during the first months of the war,” IDF said in a statement.
Following this confirmation, Israeli officials said that they are preparing to officially notify the Nepali government through diplomatic channels and conduct a formal final rites in Israel in co-ordination with the Nepali Embassy.
Once these procedures are finished, Joshi’s body will be repatriated to Nepal, with the authorities expected to run tests to determine the cause and circumstances of his death.
Nepal mourns death of Bipin
Condolences poured across Nepal following the news, with President Ramchandra Paudel expressing deep sorrow over Bipin’s death.
In a post on X, Paudel said that the death of Bipin has shocked him, recalling the government’s steadfast efforts to secure his release from captivity by engaging with officials from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United States.
Joshi’s fellow students and friends also mourned his death, while remembering his heroics that helped them survive during the attacks.
Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary, 27, said that Joshi bravely threw back a grenade from the Hamas group before being taken hostage two years ago, which saved him and other Nepalese students.
“I may not have survived if both grenades had exploded. Bipin showed courage and threw the grenade out,” he told BBC Nepali.
He also said that he feels deeply saddened after hearing about his colleague’s death following relentless efforts to bring him home over the past two years.
“We made all possible efforts from our sides to secure his release. We did everything. But yesterday, we had to face such shocking news. All of Nepal is in grief. I do not know what to say. I have no words to explain my sorrow.”
False hopes
Earlier, hopes that Bipin was still alive rose after the Times of Israel and the Washington Post reported that his name appeared on the list of living hostages.
But hopes faded after Joshi’s name was not included in the list of 20 remaining hostages later freed under the latest US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Bipin, one of 49 agriculture students from Sudurpaschim University, had travelled to Israel under the “Learn and Earn” study programme.
He was among 17 Nepali students abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack on Kibbutz Alumim, which left 10 Nepali students dead and four injured.
With Bipin’s death confirmed, two years of uncertainty over his status came to an end, though the government and his loved ones vowed to continue their efforts to uncover the truth behind his death and keep his memory alive.
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Geoffrey H. Latayan 
Vivien Bernardino