One Hostage's Family Had an Ordeal Like No Other

As celebrations erupted in Israel over the return of hostages taken by Hamas, a mother in Nepal was told her son, Bipin Joshi, was not among them. Bipin, 22, was the only Nepali national taken during the October 7, 2023, attack on Kibbutz Alumim, where he worked as part of an agricultural program—he had hoped to stay for 11 months then return home to start his own farm and lift his family's fortunes. While other countries managed to bring their citizens home, the Wall Street Journal reports that Nepal's lack of experience in international hostage crises was so pronounced "that weeks after his kidnapping, the then-foreign minister asked reporters for the Wall Street Journal how he could reach the Red Cross." Prior to Monday, he was the only foreigner whose fate was unknown.

Thus far, the Israeli military has said only that Bipin was "murdered in captivity," offering no further details. Hamas, in a public statement, said his remains would be transferred to Israel. His mother Padma, a schoolteacher, had become the face of Nepal's effort to find Bipin, traveling thousands of miles and meeting with diplomats in multiple countries. The family's ordeal highlighted the limits of Nepal's influence compared to countries like Thailand and the Philippines, which were able to recover their abducted citizens. The Journal notes Thailand was able to communicate with Hamas via intermediaries in Iran and Malaysia, while Nepal leaned largely on Israel and mediators Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. (Read the full story, which recounts Bipin's act of bravery during the attack.)