Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has called upon the international community to assist in the safe release of Bipin Joshi, the Nepali student who has been in the Palestinian militant group Hamas captivity since October 7 last year.

Addressing the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on Monday, Minister Rana drew attention to Joshi’s situation and urged global cooperation for his release.

The foreign minister is in New York to attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly.

According to Minister Rana’s secretariat, she said that Nepal is eagerly awaiting Joshi’s return and appealed for international support.

Joshi was abducted when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Ten Nepali students were killed in the armed attack.

Minister Rana said the government condemned the attack and repeatedly called for Joshi’s safe release.

She also stressed the need for collective global efforts to establish peace, pointing out that wars, rebellions, and violence persist in many parts of the world under various pretexts.

“We are standing at one of the most critical junctures since World War II, with conflicts escalating worldwide. Prioritising the protection of civilians from armed conflict is more crucial than ever,” said Minister Rana.

She further criticised the international community for failing to prevent ongoing conflicts and for not resolving the issues caused by wars, leaving citizens without peace and stability.

“We are marking the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, yet the principles for civilian protection enshrined in the conventions are being ignored or misinterpreted. This must end, and we must all work towards peaceful coexistence,” said Minister Rana.

The foreign minister expressed her deep concern over the civilian casualties in Gaza and the suffering of people due to the Russia-Ukraine war. She called for an immediate end to such violent acts and for peaceful resolutions to these conflicts, stressing that violence serves no justice.