Designated Terror Group Holding Nepali Hostage Bipin Joshi, Explained Amidst Decades-Long Conflict
Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, Canada, Japan, Israel, and others, is the group responsible for the abduction and continued captivity of Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who has now spent 575 days as a hostage in Gaza. Understanding Hamas and the deep-rooted Israel-Palestine conflict is crucial to grasping the tragic circumstances surrounding Bipin, an uninvolved civilian caught in a violent struggle far from his homeland.
What is Hamas?
Hamas (Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, or Islamic Resistance Movement) is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist organization founded in late 1987 during the First Palestinian Intifada (uprising), emerging as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. It possesses both a political apparatus and a formidable military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
The group's original 1988 charter explicitly called for the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state across all of historic Palestine. While some Hamas figures have occasionally suggested a willingness to accept a Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders as a long-term truce (hudna), the organization has never formally renounced its founding goal or recognized Israel's right to exist. It vehemently opposed the Oslo Accords peace process of the 1990s between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Politically, Hamas scored a surprise victory in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections. In 2007, following a brief but violent internal conflict, it ousted the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA) from the Gaza Strip and has governed the territory ever since, while the PA retains limited autonomy in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Hamas utilizes a combination of tactics. It operates extensive social welfare programs in Gaza, bolstering its popular support. Politically, it engages in governance within Gaza. Militarily, it has waged a long campaign against Israel involving tactics such as suicide bombings (especially during the Second Intifada, 2000-2005), rocket attacks launched from Gaza into Israel, and armed assaults, culminating in the sophisticated, large-scale cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. It's this military wing that abducted Bipin Joshi and approximately 250 others that day.
The international community is divided on Hamas. While many Western nations and their allies designate it a terrorist group due to its attacks on civilians and rejection of Israel, other countries, particularly in the Arab and Muslim world, view it as a legitimate resistance movement against Israeli occupation.
The Israel-Palestine Conflict: A Brief History
The struggle Bipin Joshi is caught in is one of the world's longest-running and most intractable conflicts, centered on competing claims to the same land by two national movements.
- Origins: Its modern roots trace back to the late 19th century with the emergence of Zionism, aiming to establish a Jewish homeland in historic Palestine (then part of the Ottoman Empire), and concurrently, the rise of Palestinian Arab nationalism. Under the British Mandate after WWI, Jewish immigration increased, as did tensions and violence between the two communities.
- 1947-48 Partition and War: The UN's 1947 plan to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by Arab leaders. Israel declared independence in May 1948. Surrounding Arab nations attacked, but Israel prevailed, expanding its territory. This period saw around 750,000 Palestinians become refugees, an event known as the "Nakba" (Catastrophe).
- 1967 War and Occupation: In the Six-Day War, Israel decisively defeated its neighbours and occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem (previously held by Jordan), Egypt's Sinai Peninsula (later returned), and Syria's Golan Heights. This occupation, particularly of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the control over Gaza, remains central to the conflict.
- PLO, Intifadas, and Oslo: The PLO became the primary representative of the Palestinians. The First Intifada (1987-1993) saw widespread Palestinian protests against occupation, during which Hamas was formed. The Oslo Accords in the 1990s created the Palestinian Authority and aimed for a two-state solution, but the process collapsed amidst violence, including Hamas attacks and continued Israeli settlement expansion in occupied territories (considered illegal under international law). The Second Intifada erupted in 2000.
- Gaza Blockade and Wars: After Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, Israel and Egypt imposed a tight blockade, severely restricting movement of goods and people. Multiple rounds of intense conflict between Israel and Hamas/other Gaza militants followed (e.g., 2008-09, 2014, 2021).
- October 7 and Current War: The Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, killed approx. 1,200 Israelis and foreigners (including 10 Nepalis) and saw around 250 taken hostage (including Bipin Joshi). Israel's response has involved a devastating air and ground campaign in Gaza, leading to tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, a humanitarian catastrophe, and the ongoing hostage crisis.
Bipin Joshi: An Innocent Victim
Bipin Joshi was in Israel under the "Learn and Earn" program, working on Kibbutz Alumim near Gaza to gain agricultural skills. He had no part in the historical conflict or the political disputes. He, along with the other Nepalis killed and injured, were simply civilians targeted in the October 7th assault by Hamas militants. His continued captivity for 575 days highlights the devastating human cost borne by individuals entirely unconnected to the core conflict, used as pawns by groups like Hamas. Despite diplomatic efforts by Nepal engaging Israel, Qatar, Egypt and others, his release remains unsecured, trapped within the complex dynamics of the war and hostage negotiations.
Domestic Context in Nepal
The situation surrounding Bipin Joshi exists alongside domestic reactions to the broader conflict within Nepal itself. Since the war escalated, various demonstrations have occurred in Kathmandu, organized primarily by student unions and groups affiliated with certain radical communist factions. These protests have largely focused on expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause and condemning Israeli military operations in Gaza and the resulting humanitarian crisis. This domestic landscape presents a complex picture, with public demonstrations focusing on Palestinian suffering under Israeli actions taking place concurrently with national anguish and diplomatic efforts centered on freeing a Nepali citizen held captive by Hamas – the internationally designated terrorist group responsible for the October 7th attacks that victimized Bipin and killed ten of his compatriots.
Bipin Joshi
