A Fair Goodbye
He Saved 17 Lives: Nepali Student Bipin Joshi to be Repatriated for Burial
Bipin Joshi, a 23-year-old Nepali student killed in Hamas captivity after saving multiple lives during October 7 attack, to be repatriated with state honors at Ben-Gurion Airport.
The body of Bipin Joshi, the 23-year-old Nepali agriculture student kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks and murdered in Hamas captivity, is scheduled to be flown to his native Nepal this morning for burial.
Before the flight, a dignified state ceremony in his memory has been held at the 8th Brigade Memorial at Ben-Gurion Airport, offering the public a final opportunity to pay their respects to a young man whose life was tragically cut short while pursuing his education.
The Student Who Became a Hero
Bipin Joshi was not an Israeli citizen; he was one of a group of Nepali students participating in the "Learn and Earn" academic program, designed to provide hands-on experience in Israeli agriculture. He had arrived at Kibbutz Alumim, an agricultural community near the Gaza border, just weeks before the Hamas assault.
On the morning of October 7, 2023, as terrorists stormed the kibbutz, Joshi was hailed for an act of extraordinary bravery. Eyewitness accounts from surviving students confirm that when Hamas terrorists threw grenades into the bomb shelter where he and his colleagues were hiding, Joshi, despite being injured, managed to deflect one of the live grenades, an action credited with saving several lives, though ten of his peers were ultimately killed.
He was subsequently abducted by the terrorists and taken into Gaza, reportedly one of the few non-Israeli foreign nationals and the only Hindu confirmed to have been taken captive.
A Heartbreaking End to a Two-Year Ordeal
Joshi’s family, who campaigned tirelessly for his release, clung to hope for nearly two years after a video surfaced showing him alive in captivity months after his abduction. His sister, Pushpa, and mother, Padma, had traveled to Israel to meet with officials, including President Isaac Herzog, and joined the Hostages and Missing Families Forum demonstrations.
The confirmation of his death came this past week after Hamas returned the remains of four deceased hostages to Israel as part of a recent ceasefire agreement. Israeli authorities formally identified Joshi's body following forensic analysis.
In a statement expressing profound grief, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said:
“The people of Israel bow their heads in deep sorrow over the passing of Bipin Joshi, who was kidnapped and murdered in Hamas captivity through no fault of his own. The public is invited to accompany the student, who loved studying agriculture in Israel, on his final journey to Nepal and to pay their last respects.”
The Forum also requested that travelers arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport this morning arrive an hour early to attend the memorial ceremony, ensuring a proper send-off for the courageous student before his final journey home.