While Bipin’s family in Israel pleads for his release, PM Oli and FM Rana reiterate their efforts

While Bipin Joshi’s mother, Padma, and sister, Pushpa, have been in Israel pleading for his release for a week, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba took to social media today to remind people of their efforts so far to rescue Bipin.

Bipin’s mother and sister are currently lobbying for his release from Hamas captivity in Israel. Their speeches and public appearances are being widely shared and reshared across all social media platforms.

Padma and Pushpa, with support from the Nepali Embassy in Tel Aviv, recently met Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana, appealing for intervention to secure his release.

Following the meeting, the Israeli president released a short video along with Bipin’s mother and sister and also shared it on social media, emphasising that Israel stands firmly with Bipin’s family.

“Heartbreaking meeting with Padma and Pushpa, the mother and sister of Bipin Joshi – a Nepali student abducted by Hamas on October 7,” reads the Israeli president ‘X’ post. “Israel stands with them in their pain, and we will not stop until every hostage is returned home. Bipin and all the hostages must be returned now!”

In the meantime, PM Oli also took to his social media handles writing, “It is our responsibility to initiate the early release of Bipin Joshi, who has been held hostage by Hamas.”

PM Oli stated in his post that in coordination with the Nepali embassy in Israel, Bipin’s mother Padma and sister Pushpa have met the Israeli President Herzog, and Parliament Speaker Ohana, and urged them to take the initiative for Bipin’s release.

He added in his post that he had earlier raised the issue in phone conversations with world leaders engaged in Middle East peace efforts, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 20 and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on March 12.

He also stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is constantly communicating with embassies in the Gulf region to ensure Bipin’s safe and timely release.

PM Oli also expressed special gratitude to all Nepalis and local citizens, journalists, security personnel, and social activists who are assisting in Israel. “The government stands with Bipin’s family,” reads his post.

Similarly, Foreign Minister Rana took to Facebook to reiterate the ministry’s maximum diplomatic efforts to secure Bipin’s release.

“I began focusing on this issue as soon as I was appointed foreign minister,” she said. “I have been advocating for Bipin’s release in every international forum over the past year, including the United Nations General Assembly, numerous bilateral and multilateral meetings, and meetings I have attended.”

Stating that it is the government’s responsibility to release Bipin, she reminded that Bipin’s mother and sister recently reached Israel with the advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the support of the Israeli government. She also stated that Bipin’s mother and sister met with the Israeli president and requested Bipin’s release.

She asserted that when she had travelled to New York to attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly last October, she addressed the world community on the issue of Bipin’s release, including the G77 Plus, G20, and LDC groups.

Moreover, she recalled that she raised the issue during her speech at the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit in Doha last October, as well as in subsequent sideline meetings.

She stated that after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, she requested that the participating countries’ foreign ministers, as well as their ambassadors in Nepal, support Bipin’s release.

“Even after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, I continued to speak with the foreign ministers of the countries involved, as well as the ambassadors to Nepal. On January 14, following the ceasefire, I called Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, and made a special request. Al-Khulaifi is the chief negotiator and mediator in the peace talks,” her post states.

“In the evening of the same day, I called Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Ati and asked them to take special initiatives for Bipin’s release.”

She further stated that she had requested the Egyptian Foreign Minister from Bangkok on January 20, while she was there for surgery. “I am constantly communicating with the Nepali embassies in Middle Eastern countries to ensure Bipin’s safe and prompt release, and I have also instructed them to take this matter seriously and work on possible initiatives through their missions,” she added.

“In addition, in March, I met with Ricky Gill, US President Donald Trump’s national security assistant and senior director of the National Security Council for South and Central Asia, in New Delhi, to request US assistance in releasing Bipin. I also approached leaders and ministers from various countries who were attending the Raisina Dialogue at the time.”