Body of Tanzanian National Joshua Mollel Returned as Part of Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

Dar es Salaam. Israeli authorities have confirmed the return of the body of Tanzanian national Joshua Mollel as part of the US-brokered ceasefire arrangements in Gaza.

Officials reported that the remains were conclusively identified following forensic examinations at the National Centre of Forensic Medicine. The Foreign Affairs ministry subsequently informed the family of the 21-year-old.

Mollel, who had been undertaking an agricultural internship in southern Israel, was among those caught in the October 7, 2023, attacks when fighters raided several communities near the Gaza border.

He was killed at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and his body was subsequently removed by militants. Israeli authorities stated that with his return, six deceased hostages—five Israelis and one Thai citizen—remain in Gaza.

Mollel was one of two Tanzanian students who went missing during the October 7 assault and were later officially declared dead.

According to Israeli authorities, both Mollel and his compatriot, Clemence Mtenga, were kidnapped during the attack.

The Israeli government informed Tanzania that Mollel was killed shortly after being abducted.

The Tanzanian government is preparing to send Mollel’s father, another family member, and officials to Israel to meet with authorities and obtain further information regarding the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.

Mtenga was also confirmed dead, and his body was repatriated to Tanzania for burial.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office expressed condolences, saying Israel "shares in the profound grief of the Mollel family and all families of the fallen hostages."

The statement added that under the ceasefire terms, all bodies of deceased captives must be transferred, with efforts continuing "until every fallen hostage is brought home."

Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the return of Mollel’s remains offered some comfort to relatives who had endured prolonged uncertainty.

"Amid their sorrow, his return provides some solace after an unbearable wait," the group stated.

The body was retrieved from Gaza City’s eastern Shejaiya neighbourhood before being handed to the Red Cross on Wednesday evening.

In recent days, Israeli forces have permitted limited access for representatives and Red Cross teams to search for bodies in the area, which remains under Israeli control.