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Mollel was murdered by Hamas terrorists at a dairy farm in Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the attacks on Oct. 7.
By United with Israel Staff
Israel received the body of Tanzanian student and fallen hostage Joshua Loitu Mollel overnight, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Israel Defense Forces confirmed Tuesday. Loitu Mollel, 21, had been abducted into Gaza by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and was formally identified following forensic testing at the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv.
According to the IDF, Joshua Loitu Mollel, an agronomy student, came to Israel for agricultural training at the campus in Kibbutz Ibim.
He was killed by Hamas terrorists at a dairy farm in Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the attacks on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken by the terrorist organization. He is survived by his parents, three sisters, and a brother.
“Following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives informed the family that Joshua Loitu Mollel has been returned for burial,” the military said.
The Prime Minister’s Office expressed the government’s condolences, stating that it shares “in the deep sorrow of the Molle family and of all the families of fallen hostages.” It added that the government and all national security agencies are “determined, committed, and working tirelessly to bring back all of our fallen hostages for a proper burial in their homeland.”
Both the IDF and the government emphasized that Hamas is obligated to honor its commitments under the mediated agreements and return the remaining hostages. “We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until all our hostages are returned,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Loitu Mollel’s return marks another step in Israel’s ongoing effort to recover all hostages and fallen civilians taken by Hamas, underscoring the heavy toll the terror organization has exacted on innocent individuals and their families.
Nearly a month after the ceasefire went into effect, six more hostage bodies remain in Gaza. Hamas is required to fulfill its obligations to return all the deceased hostages to their families for a proper burial.
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