The mother and sister of Nepali hostage Bipin Joshi arrived Monday at Ben Gurion Airport, more than three months after Israeli authorities reported serious concerns for his life.
During their first visit to Israel, they are expected to visit the place where he lived, see the location from which he was abducted, meet his friends and receive intelligence assessments.
Padma and Pushpa Joshi, mother and sister of Nepalese hostage Bipin Joshi, speak to the media at Ben Gurion Airport
(Video: Ido Erez)
Bipin’s mother, Padma, broke down in tears upon landing. “Please, save my son,” she pleaded. “Hamas, bring him home now.” Bipin was kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim on October 7. During the fighting with Hamas terrorists, he caught one of the grenades they threw into their shelter and threw it back outside. “He saved people,” one of his friends previously recounted.
“I want to thank all the people of Israel and all government officials who brought us here for my brother,” said his 17-year-old sister, Pushpa. “Thank you so much for supporting me. Thank you so much for praying for my brother. I have only one wish — that my brother returns very soon, as soon as possible.”
She added that “Bipin came to Israel only to study as part of his academic program and, unfortunately, he got caught between two sides in a war he has nothing to do with. We just want him. It’s too much for me and my family. It’s been almost two years. We can’t stop thinking about his situation, what he is doing there, if he’s getting food, if he’s getting medicine.”
In the airport's arrivals hall, four friends who studied with Joshi at a university in Nepal for four years awaited their arrival. They had come to Israel together in September 2023 and were also injured alongside him during the October 7 massacre. The president of Hemdat Academic College, where they studied agriculture in Israel, was also present to welcome them.
Describing Bipin, one of his friends said, “He is a very curious and positive person. He always had the thought that he wanted to do something new and always wanted to try many things. He also loved music, recording—I think two or three rap songs on YouTube—and played guitar. He loves to play football.”
The friends recounted their experiences following the tragic events of October 7. One suffered from a bullet lodged in his chest and abdomen, while two others sustained leg injuries. Despite their wounds, all chose to remain in Israel.
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“We received treatment for a year, and then he also needed treatment,” one said, referring to Joshi. “We thought we had gotten through the difficult period together and would then return to Nepal. So we waited for him to finish treatment, and then we considered staying to study. The Israeli government and the universities helped us obtain scholarships, so now we are pursuing master’s degrees in sciences.”
Despite the trauma, they expressed enduring affection for Israel. “We love being here. Israel has been very good to us. They gave us everything we needed and treated us well, even during the difficult times,” one shared.
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Padma and Pushpa Joshi, mother and sister of hostage Bipin Joshi, arrive at Ben Gurion Airport for their first visit to Israel
(Photo: Dana Kopel)
“His mother and sister are very worried about him. Can you imagine being separated from your son for almost two years? She is far away and doesn’t know what is happening. His father also has health issues and is not here. He is very concerned about his son,” one of Joshi's friends said.
During their stay in Israel, Joshi and his companions lived at Kibbutz Alumim in the Negev. On October 7, 10 of them were killed, six were wounded and Joshi was kidnapped. Two of the injured returned to Nepal. One recounted the ordeal that day: “We were all together in the same shelter. Seventeen of us entered; it was open without doors. At first, the terrorists shot two of our friends, then threw in two grenades, one of which Bipin threw out. Only one grenade exploded among us, severely injuring five friends.”
He continued, “After 20 to 30 minutes, two police officers arrived. Ten of us were unharmed, and five were injured from the explosion. They took us to another shelter, which was our kitchen. Ten of us went there. I sat in one corner, and my friends sat in groups on the other side. After half an hour, the terrorists entered again, saw Bipin first, and took him. When they took him, they saw my friends and began shooting at everyone. They didn’t see me because I was in the other corner.”
Interview in May with Pushpa Joshi, the sister of Nepalese hostage Bipin Joshi
(Video: Lior Sharon)
“They left while shooting, then returned a few minutes later, fired again and threw a grenade into the shelter. We stayed there for six to seven hours, not knowing who was alive or dead. Later, the IDF arrived. People from Thailand were with us as well. We left the shelter, but they returned to evacuate the injured to the hospital. I and another friend who is now in Nepal stayed another night at Alumim. We had transportation to the hospital but stayed. That night was very frightening. Outside, the IDF was fighting the terrorists while we were inside, unable to sleep, sending messages: ‘Please save us, the situation is bad.’ No one could reach us, so we stayed the whole night. We were only rescued the next day.”
In May, Joshi’s sister Pushpa spoke about his condition in an interview with Ynet. “I heard the sad news two months ago. I was in shock, and my mind went blank. I had no idea what to do, how to react or how to break the news to my family. These days are hard and critical for me and my family. We are waiting for good news,” she said at the time.