Bipin Joshi from Kanchanpur Remains Missing in Israel

Dhangadhi: Bipin Joshi, hailing from Bhimdatta Municipality-3 in Kanchanpur, has been missing for a week. He was part of a group of 17 individuals working at an agricultural farm in Israel's Kibbutz, who came under attack by Hamas in a bunker.

Following the initial attack, one of the four injured individuals has returned home, while the other three are currently receiving medical treatment in Israel. According to students who returned to Nepal on Friday and those still undergoing treatment in Israel, Joshi was reportedly captured by the Hamas group, along with Thai citizens. The Nepali Embassy has indicated that Joshi's condition and whereabouts remain uncertain.

The incident occurred when four Nepali students were injured in a grenade attack launched by the Hamas group on a Saturday morning. Vidhan Sejwal of Salyan, Ravin Dangi of Dang, Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary of Kailali, and Himanchal Kattel of Gorkha sustained injuries during the attack. It was Joshi who, in a brave act of heroism, caught one of the grenades and threw it out of the bunker, potentially saving lives. The other grenade remained inside.

Students who have returned explained that the lives of the four injured Nepalis were spared due to Joshi's quick thinking and courageous actions. Himanchal Kattel, who was severely injured during the attack, conveyed in a video message from the hospital that he personally witnessed Joshi being taken captive to Palestine. "I saw him (Bipin Joshi) being taken hostage along with two or three Thai citizens and transported to Palestine," stated Kattel.

A group of 253 students, including Pramod KC of Triveni Rural Municipality-1 in Salyan and Virendra Chaudhary of Bhajani Trishakti Nagarpakiya-3 in Kailali, who were part of the same group, returned to Nepal and arrived at their respective villages on Friday. Nepali Ambassador to Israel, Kanta Rizal, confirmed that Bipin Joshi's whereabouts and well-being continue to remain a matter of concern.