#JustIn: 20 Israeli Hostages Freed; IDF Confirms Bipin Joshi Still in Captivity
Hamas frees 20 hostages, but Nepal’s Bipin Joshi remains missing; the family is still hopeful.
Israel’s tense and protracted hostage deal with Hamas reached its conclusion on Monday, with the militant group releasing the last batch of 20 living Israeli hostages. However, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that no other hostages remain alive in Hamas captivity—casting a shadow of uncertainty over the fate of Bipin Joshi, a 22-year-old Nepali student and the sole Hindu believed to have been held by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, terror attack.
Joshi, who was studying and working at Israel’s Kibbutz Alumim as part of an agricultural exchange programme, reportedly became a symbol of resilience after deflecting a grenade hurled by Hamas militants during the assault that killed 10 of his fellow Nepali students. While 17 of the group were rescued, Joshi was declared missing and later presumed to have been abducted by Hamas.
Despite months of negotiations, his name did not appear on any of the official hostage release lists shared by either Israel or Hamas. The IDF stated that it has accounted for all living hostages, while efforts continue to trace those still missing. “We are committed to finding every person taken from Israel, living or deceased,” an IDF spokesperson said, reiterating the government’s stance on locating unaccounted individuals.
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Back in Nepal, Joshi’s family continues to hold out hope. His parents, who have repeatedly appealed to both Israeli and Nepali authorities, expressed deep anguish over the latest announcement. “We still believe Bipin is alive. Until there is proof otherwise, we will not stop praying,” his father said in a statement.
The final phase of the hostage deal saw thousands of Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for the Israeli captives, marking a significant but emotionally charged end to one of the most complex prisoner swaps in recent years. For families like Joshi’s, however, the conclusion offers no closure—only unanswered questions and a lingering hope that their son’s courage may one day be rewarded with his return.
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