Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the mother and sister of Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who is being held captive by Hamas, for nearly an hour on Tuesday.
The meeting took place at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem with a team that included the hostage affairs advisor, Gal Hirsch. Prime Minister Netanyahu assured them that his government will leave no stone unturned in its efforts to secure Bipin's release. He suggested that Nepal leverage its friendly relations with all countries, especially with Arab nations that have connections with Hamas for the release of Bipin.
Upon arriving at the office with Nepali Ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, Bipin's mother Padma and sister Pushpa were given priority for the meeting over the waiting Japanese Ambassador. Prime Netanyahu entered the meeting room with a "Namaste," shaking hands with all the three. When he saw a photo of Bipin in Padma's hands, he requested to hold it, examined it deeply, and praised Bipin as a courageous and real hero. He stated that Israelis view Bipin as a role model for saving the lives of 8-10 others on the day of the attack.
Netanyahu reassured the family that all hostages are equal to Israel and that no distinction is made between nationals and foreigners when it comes to rescuing them. He mentioned that 50 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, with some confirmed deceased, but stressed that no such adverse information has been received concerning Bipin.
Pushpa expressed the family's profound distress and difficulty in coping with Bipin's absence since his abduction 22 months ago, which finally led to their visit. In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu shared his own personal pain, relating the loss of his brother Yonatan, who was killed during the 1975 Entebbe rescue operation to free Israeli hostages. He stated that he understands the agony of having a missing sibling.
Concluding the meeting, Netanyahu emphasized that securing Bipin's release requires the cooperation of not just Israel and Nepal, but other countries as well. He suggested that Nepal, with its friendly relations worldwide, could also utilize the platform of the United Nations for this effort.
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