KATHMANDU: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently confirmed that 21 hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are believed to be alive, while three others, including Nepal’s Bipin Joshi, remain unaccounted for.

According to the Times of Israel, a senior Israeli official revealed on Thursday that no signs of life have been received from these three hostages since shortly after the outbreak of the war.

Among the missing hostages, two are foreign nationals — Bipin Joshi of Nepal and Pinta Nattapong of Thailand — along with one Israeli citizen.

Although no official declaration of their death has been made by Israel, the situation remains dire, and their families have been continuously updated.