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Amid steady progress at the Donald Trump–led Middle East peace summit — marked by the release of 20 hostages from Gaza — a moment of heartbreak tempered the optimism. The remains of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student abducted by Hamas during the 2023 attacks, were handed over to Israeli authorities after more than two years of uncertainty.

Nepal’s Ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, confirmed to Republica that Joshi’s body was being transported to Tel Aviv late Monday night. The Israeli military said Joshi was among four hostages whose remains were returned by Hamas as part of ongoing humanitarian negotiations.

Bipin Joshi: A Student’s Dream Cut Short

Joshi, then 23, had arrived in Israel with hopes of mastering modern agricultural techniques at Kibbutz Alumim, located near the volatile Gaza border. He was among 17 Nepali students who had come seeking education and training in Israeli farming methods, as per a report on News18.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants attacked the kibbutz, killing ten of Joshi’s classmates. A haunting image later surfaced showing the group sheltering with Thai workers moments before the assault.

Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin said Joshi’s body will undergo DNA verification before being repatriated to Nepal. Funeral rites are expected to be conducted in Israel, coordinated closely with the Nepali embassy, reported NDTV.

Family’s Long Wait For Closure

For Joshi’s family in western Nepal, the news brought a painful end to a two-year ordeal. His younger sister, Pushpa Joshi, just 17, made repeated trips to Kathmandu seeking updates from government officials. In August, the family traveled to Israel to meet President Isaac Herzog and attended vigils at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, holding Bipin’s photo alongside those of other captives.

Their hopes were briefly revived in late 2023, when a video emerged showing Joshi alive in Hamas captivity. In the footage, widely circulated online, he identified himself as Nepali and mentioned arriving in Israel only 25 days before the war began. Sadly, no further proof of life followed.

Bipin Joshi's family struggled so hard to get their son back.

He arrived in Israel 25 days before the massacre. The 23-year-old Hindu student from Nepal just wanted to study agriculture.

He wasn't Israeli. He wasn't Jewish. So the media won't talk about him because that will… pic.twitter.com/2QrwLfLG8Q

— dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) October 13, 2025

Joshi would have celebrated his 25th birthday on October 26.