Who is Bipin Joshi, the only Hindu in Hamas' custody amid war with Israel?

A fresh ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has renewed hope for the family of the lone Hindu in custody of the militant group. Bipin Joshi, a 23-year-old student from Nepal, had been working at a farm in southern Israel as part of a study programme when he, among many others, was abducted during Hamas' October 2023 attack in Israel. Hamas, an armed group that governs the Gaza Strip, had taken more than 250 people hostage at the time. Hamas still reportedly has 48 hostages, of whom only 20 are believed to be alive.

What is known about Bipin Joshi?

Bipin Joshi was among the non-Israeli nationals taken hostage by Hamas during the brutal 2023 attack. Joshi was part of a group of Nepali students who had gone to Israel for an agricultural training programme. According to a report by The Times of Israel, Joshi deflected a grenade that was lobbed by Hamas militants, saving several lives. Ten of Joshi's batchmates were killed by Hamas militants during the attack. Just minutes before he was kidnapped, Joshi sent several text messages to a cousin back in Nepal. "If something happens to me, you have to take care of my family. Be strong and always look towards the future," a message from Joshi reportedly read. The Nepali student's family has been advocating for his release at multiple global forums.

What's the latest on the war in Gaza?

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Friday, the Israeli military said in a statement. It added that troops were pulling back to the agreed-upon lines. This marks the implementation of the first phase of a peace plan announced by United States president Donald Trump. Under the initial phase, Hamas will release all remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The war in Gaza has been raging since Israel launched a large-scale offensive into the region in response to the Hamas attack.