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Tanzanian hostage's remains returned under Gaza ceasefire deal
Israel confirmed on Thursday that Hamas had returned the remains of Joshua Mollel, a 21-year-old Tanzanian student killed during the October 7, 2023, attacks, as part of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement. Forensic tests at Israel's National Centre of Forensic Medicine verified the remains before authorities notified Mollel's family.
Victim's background and abduction
Mollel was participating in an agricultural internship at Kibbutz Nahal Oz when Hamas-led militants stormed the area, killing him and taking his body into Gaza. His return leaves six deceased hostages-five Israelis and one Thai national-still unaccounted for in the enclave.
Official reactions and ongoing efforts
The Israeli prime minister's office expressed solidarity with the Mollel family and all bereaved relatives of fallen hostages, reiterating its commitment to recovering all remains. "Hamas is obligated to return all deceased hostages under the ceasefire deal," the statement read, adding that Israel would "spare no effort" to retrieve them.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum acknowledged the family's grief while noting that Mollel's return provided "some comfort" after two years of uncertainty.
Hamas's role and recovery challenges
Before transferring the remains to the Red Cross in Gaza on Wednesday, Hamas's military wing claimed to have recovered a hostage's body in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighborhood. Israel had permitted Hamas and Red Cross teams to search the area, which remains under Israeli control. The body of Israeli-US soldier Staff Sgt. Itay Chen was also found there earlier this week.
Israel has accused Hamas of intentionally stalling recovery efforts, while Hamas attributes delays to the difficulty of locating remains beneath rubble. The impasse has stalled progress on the second phase of the ceasefire deal, which includes Gaza's governance, Israeli troop withdrawal, Hamas disarmament, and reconstruction plans.
Broader context of the conflict
Under the initial ceasefire phase, Hamas agreed to release 20 living and 28 deceased Israeli and foreign hostages within 72 hours. All living Israeli hostages were freed on October 13 in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 Gaza detainees. Israel has since returned 285 Palestinian bodies in exchange for 19 Israeli and three foreign hostages' remains (Tanzanian, Thai, and Nepalese).
The 7 October 2023 attack killed approximately 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has resulted in over 68,800 deaths, according to Hamas-run health authorities.
