Herzog meets family of Nepali hostage Bipin Joshi

President Isaac Herzog meets with the relatives of Nepali hostage Bipin Joshi, during the family’s first visit to Israel, according to a statement from his office.

The meeting comes after Herzog’s stop at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv this morning during a nationwide strike organized by the families of hostages held by Gaza terror groups. The Joshi family joined the strike, which calls for the release of hostages and an end to the war.

“We are screaming for Bipin’s return. His whereabouts are unclear, but Israel and all those who care about our hostages are doing whatever we can to bring him home. We are screaming and calling to the international community, listen to the voice of Bipin,” Herzog tells Bipin’s mother, Padma, and sister, Pushpa. They were also joined by Nepal’s ambassador to Israel, Dhan Prasad Pandit, according to the statement.

During the meeting, Pushpa thanks Israel for its support and urges the world to press for her brother’s release: “It’s too much heartbreak for me and my family. I want to thank Israel from the bottom of my heart for standing with us. I thank God for giving us hope. And it’s my appeal to the international community, please: We can’t imagine how he’s living there. I ask the international community, please, do whatever you can.”

Following the meeting, Herzog also connected the two relatives with United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and helped arrange a meeting between them, the president’s office adds.

The family arrived for the first time in Israel last week, nearly two years after Joshi, an agriculture student living in the country, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Alumim during the October 7, 2023, massacre.