TechPana Fact Check: Viral Video of Israeli Youth Held by Hamas Misidentified as Nepal’s Bipin Joshi
भदौ २, २०८२ १६:३५
Kathmandu: In recent days, a video has gone viral on social media with claims that it shows Bipin Joshi, the Nepali student who was taken hostage by Hamas nearly two years ago. In the footage, a frail young man with a malnourished body is seen digging inside a tunnel-like place. Many posts falsely identify him as Bipin Joshi.
Several social media users have circulated the video claiming it is of Bipin. Some questioned, “Is the young man in the video Bipin?” while others outright denied it. During TechPana’s fact-check, it was confirmed that the viral video actually shows 24-year-old Israeli citizen Evyatar David, who was also taken hostage by Hamas on the same day Bipin was captured.
Claim
A Facebook page named ‘Kalpana Kadel’ posted the video at 8:08 pm on August 15 with the caption: “Bipin Joshi is alive and in this condition.” (Translated) The clip shows people gathered in a conference hall, with the hostage video playing in the background. As of this writing, the video has over 775,000 views and more than 25,000 likes. [Video and archive link]
Other users, including Awasthi Karan and Vishal Rai, also posted the same video on Facebook identifying the man as Bipin Joshi.
On TikTok, accounts such as ‘Kishan Rai’ and ‘Nabin Chhetri’ shared the same footage with similar claims. One video was even captioned “Bipin Joshi CCTV footage video.” (Translated) Another falsely described the scene as Bipin being attacked in Israel during the Hamas assault two years ago. [Videos and archive links]
A Facebook page named ‘The Revolution of Nepal’ also spread the claim, writing: “A person who looks like Bipin Joshi has been found alive and in such a condition. Is he the new Bipin Joshi??” (Translated)
Investigation
While clarifying the viral video, Bipin Joshi’s sister Pushpa Joshi posted on TikTok urging people not to spread misleading content. She said the family has no verified information about Bipin’s current condition. Pushpa warned that such misinformation could obstruct government cooperation in his release efforts.
In her video, Pushpa stated: “The Times of Israel has been cited as saying Bipin is safe. That is a misunderstanding. The Times of Israel never reported this.” (Translated) She appealed instead for collective pressure on the Head of State to secure Bipin’s release.
On August 16, Kalpana Kadel again posted Facebook page, writing: “Sorry, Pray for Bipin Bhai.” Despite this, the earlier misleading video remained online.
Pushpa and her mother Padma Joshi are currently in Israel. They traveled there on August 12 with support from the Israeli Embassy in Nepal. Since arriving, they have visited the site where Bipin was captured, given interviews to Israeli media, and joined other hostage families in Tel Aviv to demand his release. Speaking at Hostage Square on Saturday, Pushpa broke down in tears: “It has been two years without any information about his condition. Is he hungry? Is he alive? Send them home.” (Translated) [Video] Her appeals underline that the family has no confirmed details about Bipin’s situation.
Who is in the Viral Video?
During verification, TechPana found an August 2 article by the New York Post showing images from the same footage being misattributed in Nepal as Bipin. The report confirmed the man is Evyatar David, a 24-year-old Israeli hostage captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the same day Bipin was taken. In the video, Evyatar appears thin, weak, and helpless. He says he endured long periods without food, surviving on beans and lentils, and suffered from lack of water.
The footage was shared on August 2 by the ‘Bring Them Home Now’ campaign, an organization run by hostage families. The full video is 4 minutes and 53 seconds long. [Watch the video]
Just days earlier, on July 31, Hamas released another hostage video of 21-year-old Rom Braslavski, also pleading for help. In his statement, Rom said he and other hostages were starving, weak, and barely surviving. [Watch the video]
Following the release of these videos, families of hostages intensified their calls for immediate action. Pushpa Joshi said seeing Evyatar and Rom only deepened her fear about Bipin’s condition. [Video]
Claim
A video provides information about the current condition of Bipin Joshi.
Claimants
Social media users including ‘Kalpana Kadel’, ‘Awasthi Karan’, ‘Vishal Rai’, and ‘Nabin Chhetri’.
Facts
Bipin Joshi was taken hostage by Hamas on August 7, 2023. Although Bipin is expected to be alive, there is no information about his condition yet. His sister Pushpa and mother Padma are currently in Israel to press for his release. However, the viral video on social media is not of Bipin. The viral video is of Evyatar David, a 24-year-old Israeli citizen who was taken hostage on the same day that Bipin was taken hostage.
Conclusion
A video going viral on social media claims to show a malnourished hostage, Bipin Joshi, from Nepal. However, the video is not actually of Bipin Joshi. A fact-check revealed that the video is of Evyatar David, a 24-year-old Israeli citizen who was taken hostage by Hamas on the same day Bipin was captured on October 7, 2023. However, it has been falsely promoted as Bipin. Although Bipin's family believes he is alive, they have reached Israel and are pressing for his release due to the lack of direct evidence about his condition.
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