Nepal’s Bipin Joshi, held captive by Hamas on October 7, 2023, will not be released in the first phase of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire agreement. Israel has put out a list of 33 hostages to be freed in this phase, but Bipin’s name is missing.

Bipin was abducted by Hamas while he was in Israel under the “Learn and Earn” agricultural study programme. He was taken from Alumim Kibbutz during the group’s attack.

Hamas abducted 251 individuals during the assault, including Bipin, with 94 of them still in captivity—81 men and 13 women. Among the hostages are one Tanzanian, eight Thais, and 84 Israelis. Israeli authorities report that 60 hostages remain alive under Hamas’s control.

Three hostages—Doron Steinbrecher, Emily Damari, and Romi Gonen—will be freed on the first day of the ceasefire. Steinbrecher, 31, is a veterinary nurse who was taken from her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Damari, 28, a dual British-Israeli citizen, was also abducted from Kfar Aza, whereas 24-year-old Gonen was captured while fleeing the Supernova Festival.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar, the US, and Egypt, includes the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel in exchange for hostages. During the six-week first phase, the Israeli military will withdraw from residential areas in northern Gaza, allowing displaced Palestinians to return home and humanitarian aid to be delivered.

In later phases, Israeli forces are expected to fully withdraw from Gaza, with Hamas releasing additional hostages, including soldiers. The final phase will focus on rebuilding Gaza under international supervision in exchange for the return of remaining hostages or their remains.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has appealed to Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, to secure Bipin’s release. While the initial effort has not succeeded, discussions for later phases may provide hope for his freedom.

Since the conflict’s escalation on October 7, over 46,800 Palestinians, including more than 18,000 children, have died, according to Gaza's health ministry. Israeli fatalities have exceeded 1,400. The ceasefire marks a crucial step toward resolving the humanitarian crisis and securing the release of hostages.