Israel: Remains Recovered from Gaza Belong to Tanzanian Student

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that the remains of the hostage received by authorities on Wednesday evening belong to Joshua Mollel, a Tanzanian student killed during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, whose body was taken into the Gaza Strip.

Identification Details and Remaining Bodies

• Identification Complete: Netanyahu's office stated that the family of the killed abductee, Mollel, was informed by representatives of the Israeli Army and Foreign Ministry that the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine was completed and the body had been returned to Israel.

• Bodies Recovered: Mollel is the 22nd hostage body handed over by Hamas out of 28 bodies the movement is supposed to return under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

• Still Held: The remains of 6 Israeli soldiers are still held in the Strip.

Delays in Handing Over Remains

• Israeli Frustration: The continuous delay in handing over the bodies has caused frustration for the Israeli government, which accuses Hamas of stalling.

• Hamas Explanation: Hamas argues that the process is slow because the remains are buried under rubble, and it has called upon mediators and the Red Cross to provide the necessary equipment and personnel for the excavation.