Where is Bipin Joshi? Nepali student still missing in Gaza rubble amidst Hamas–Israel truce

Nearly two years after he was abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, Nepali student Bipin Joshi remains unaccounted for, even as new ceasefire efforts bring hope to families of other captives. Reports indicate that Joshi is still alive, yet his name was absent from the latest list of hostages set to be freed under a US-brokered truce.

According to the Palestinian news agency Shehab, Hamas on Monday released the names of 20 hostages who will be freed as part of the new ceasefire arrangement with Israel. However, Joshi – who was taken from a southern Israeli farm during the attack – was not among them.

Abducted during the October 7 assault

Joshi, a 24-year-old agriculture trainee from Nepal, had been working at Kibbutz Alumim, a farming community close to the Gaza border, under Israel’s ‘Learn and Earn’ student training programme. He was among a group of Nepali students abducted when Hamas militants stormed the kibbutz.

The attack claimed the lives of ten of his classmates. Despite the chaos, Joshi reportedly showed extraordinary courage. According to The Times of Israel, he managed to deflect a grenade thrown by Hamas gunmen, an act that saved several Israelis hiding nearby. Moments before being taken hostage, he sent a series of messages to his cousin in Nepal. “If something happens to me, you have to take care of my family. Be strong and always look toward the future,” he wrote.

Evidence of life emerges months later

For months, Joshi’s whereabouts were unknown, until Israeli forces retrieved a video from Gaza earlier this year. The footage – believed to have been recorded weeks after his abduction – was later shown to his family.

In the 30-second clip, Joshi appears calm and composed as he introduces himself, apparently under Hamas’s instruction. “My name is Bipin Joshi. I am from Nepal. I am 23 years old. I came here for the ‘Learn and Earn’ programme. I am a student,” he says.

The discovery of the video gave his family renewed hope. “It was an anchor of firm faith that he is still alive,” a relative told local media.

Who is Bipin Joshi?

Originally from Nepal, Joshi travelled to Israel in September 2023 after being selected by the Israeli Embassy in Kathmandu for its agricultural exchange initiative. He was one of 17 students chosen to gain practical training in farming techniques.

The Kibbutz Alumim facility where he worked was one of the hardest-hit sites during the October 7 attack, which killed 22 Israelis and 35 others in surrounding areas. Joshi’s family and the Nepali government have since raised appeals at multiple global platforms, urging for his safe release.

Ceasefire brings renewed hope 

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Friday, marking the start of a new peace phase mediated by the United States. The Israeli military confirmed that the truce was holding and said that troops were pulling back in accordance with the agreement.

Under the deal – which forms part of a peace initiative announced by US President Donald Trump – Hamas is expected to release 47 Israeli hostages, both living and deceased, in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gazans detained since the start of the war.

So far, seven of the 20 hostages listed by Hamas have been handed over to Red Cross representatives in Gaza City, according to the Israeli army. The released captives were later identified as Guy Gilboa Dalal, Eitan Mor, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Gali and Ziv Berman, and Omri Miran.

The moment sparked emotional scenes in Tel Aviv, where crowds gathered in solidarity with hostage families, cheering as the freed captives returned.

While Israel celebrates the first releases, Nepal continues to wait anxiously for word on its only citizen still held in Gaza. Despite multiple international appeals and reports suggesting Joshi remains alive, there has been no official confirmation of his inclusion in any upcoming release phases.