KATHMANDU, Nepal (Diya TV) — A family in Nepal hopes for the best in spite of being told their son is being held hostage by Hamas. 23-year-old Bipin Joshi has been a Learn and Earn student at Kibbutz Alumim since he was living there when the militants attacked it.
The Joshi family is still hopeful their son will return home. Bipin’s cousin Basu Dev Joshi said: “We are hopeful that Bipin is alive and will come home safely.” The family has learned through friends and the media that Bipin is with Hamas, but no report has been received from authorities concerned about his status yet.
The Nepali Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assured Bipin’s parents – Mahanand and Padma Joshi – that the government is making efforts to get him freed too. There have been evacuations already done on 253 Nepali students in Israel, but Bipin remains in limbo.
Reports say Bipin has been heroic under pressure. One of his friends said that he had pushed a grenade from his room, which must have saved 17 other lives who were trapped in the bunker with him.
Israel’s ambassador in Nepal described Bipin as a “hero.”
During this trying time, the family has sought help from national and international organizations. His parents are under stress to maintain their daily life, while fearful of losing their son.
The situation remains taut; the Israeli government has asserted that military operations are partially geared toward freeing hostages, but no concrete information is being relayed about Bipin’s status, causing anxiety for his family and the broader Nepali community.
