Hamas returns body of hindu hostage Bipin Joshi, who sacrificed life to save others

Tel Aviv (The Uttam Hindu): More than a year after the Hamas attack, the body of hostage Nepali Hindu student Bipin Joshi has been handed over to Israel. Bipin, 22, was kidnapped during a terrorist attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Joshi's death, which saved the lives of several classmates through his bravery, comes just as Israel is celebrating the release of 20 surviving hostages under a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Late Monday night, Hamas handed over Joshi's body, along with the bodies of three other hostages, to Israeli authorities. Nepal's ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, confirmed the news, saying, "Bipin Joshi's body has been found by Israeli authorities and is being taken to Tel Aviv for identification."

On the morning of October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters attacked Kibbutz Alumim near the Gaza border, Bipin Joshi was hiding in a bomb bunker with other students. When the terrorists threw grenades inside the bunker, Bipin, risking his life, picked up a live grenade and threw it out, saving the lives of many students. However, he himself was injured in the process and was later taken to Gaza by Hamas gunmen.

Joshi was the only non-Israeli and Hindu hostage expected to be alive. Days after his capture, the Israeli military released a video showing him being dragged to Shifa Hospital in Gaza. This was his last image alive.

Israeli military spokeswoman Efi Defrin said DNA testing will be conducted to confirm the identity of the body, after which the process of sending the body to Nepal will begin. His funeral is likely to be held in Israel with the cooperation of the Nepalese embassy.

Bipin Joshi came to Kibbutz Alumim in September 2023 with 16 other students to learn Israeli agricultural techniques under the Nepal government's 'Learn and Earn' program.