Five Incidents That Define Hamas-Israel War: Impacts on Nepal

Birat Anupam

On 7 October 2023, militant group Hamas surprisingly attacked Israel. On the fateful day, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack as just another ‘terrorist attack’ in the region marred by similar incidents almost on a daily basis.

However, the ministry was visibly confident that none of Nepalis were killed which was mentioned in the ‘Press Statement’. The statement read, ”Nine of the Nepalis are reportedly injured while two of them are in serious condition.”

However, this came out to be false. After 734 days of Hamas-Israel war and subsequent cease fire on Friday, NTV World brings you visible incidents of the war’s impacts in Nepal in five headings.

1. Abduction

The 7 October 2023 carnage; Hamas abducted more than 200 people. One of the abductees was a Nepali student who had flown to Israel just three weeks ago.

This is reflected on the recent video released on Wednesday (October 8) where Joshi says, ”My name is Bipin Joshi. I am from Nepal. I am 23 years old. I came here to Israel 25 days ago. I came here for the “Learn and Earn program,” I am a student,” he says. “I work in agricultural farm[ing] in citrus and lemon farm.” According to The Times of Israel, Joshi was made captive from Kibbutz Alumim.

On Monday’s hostage release, Bipin’s name was absent and Israeli authorities are said to have informed Bipin’s family and Nepal’s diplomat that Bipin wasn’t among those being released. Earlier, Bipin’s name was not in the list of 20 alive hostages. Bipin’s mother Padma and sister Pushpa travelled to Israel and the US campaigning for the release of Bipin Joshi.

2. Injured

Besides abduction, some Nepalis were injured in the attacks. Injured Nepalis included Bidhan Sejwal from Salyan, Prabin Dangi from Dang, Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary from Kailali and Himanchal Kattel from Gorkha. Injured were hospitalized.

3. Death

As many as 10 Nepalis were killed on October 7. They were Lokendra Singh Dhami and Dipesh Raj Bista from Darchula, Padam Thapa and Rajan Phulara from Doti, Ashish Chaudhary, and Narayan Prashad Neupane from Kailali.

Other four included Ganesh Kumar Nepali from Bajhang, Aananda Sah from Dhanusha, Rajesh Kumar Swarnakar from Sunsari, and Prabesh Bhandari from Salyan. With Bipin’s reported death, the death toll of Nepalis in Hamas attacks has climbed to 11.

4. First Rescue Flight to West Asia

Prompting the calls of trapped Nepalis in Hamas-Israel war of October 2023, Nepal Government dispatched a rescue flight from Nepal to Israel.

The first such flight rescued 253 Nepali students from Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. The then Minister for Foreign Affairs, NP Saud was aboard the historic rescue flight from West Asia.

5. Series of Diplomatic Outreaches

In order to secure safe release of Nepali hostage Bipin Joshi from Hamas captivity, Nepal’s leaders took various initiatives. Former Foreign Ministers NP Saud, Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba and Speaker Devraj Ghimire and President Ramchandra Paudel pled with various leaders and stakeholders from the West Asia region to secure Joshi’s safe release.

During his trip to Qatar on 10 December 2023, Saud urged Qatar authorities to help release Joshi. Dr. Rana called to diplomats from Qatar, Israel and Egypt for the safe release of Joshi. Speaker Ghimire wrote to the President of Arab Parliament for the facilitation of Bipin’s release. He also held marathon meetings with Qatar and Israel envoys.

President Ramchandra Paudel urged visiting Qatar’s Amir to Nepal in April 2024. Despite all these diplomatic outreaches and initiatives, none worked.

Nepal is mourning the tragic loss of its uninvolved student in foreign war.