Israeli authorities confirmed Thursday that the remains of a hostage returned the previous day from Gaza are of a Tanzanian student in Israel who was taken captive on October 7, 2023.
Gaza: Hamas recovers remains of Tanzanian student
Hamas militants and Egyptian workers search for the bodies of Israeli hostages in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025
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The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains were identified as those of Joshua Loitu Mollel and that his family has been notified.
Mollel, 21, had arrived at kibbutz Nahal Oz only 19 days before the attack, after finishing agricultural college back home and looking to gain experience in Israel he could apply in Tanzania. He is survived by two parents and four siblings in Tanzania.
"Joshua’s return offers some comfort to a family that has endured unbearable uncertainty for over two years,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said in a statement.
There are now six bodies of hostages that remain in Gaza.
Hamas has released 22 bodies of hostages since a ceasefire repeatedly violated by Israel began last month.
In exchange, Israel has handed over 285 bodies, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Hamas has said that recovering bodies is complicated by the widespread devastation in the coastal enclave.