Tanzanian Father Attends Tribute for Son Killed in Israel-Gaza Conflict
A Tanzanian man attended a tribute in Israel for his son, who was killed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Sam Morgan
- 2023-12-27
- Updated 01:37 PM ET
(NewsNibs) - The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Loitu Mollel, the father of Joshua Mollel, to attend a tribute event in memory of Joshua and another Tanzanian killed in Gaza. Joshua, aged 21, was studying in Israel and was abducted and killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023. His father's presence at the tribute was confirmed by Dvora Dorsman Yarkoni, the Deputy Ambassador of Israel to Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The event for the two Tanzanians was officiated by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.
Tanzanian and Israeli Governments Seek to Locate Citizens
The Tanzanian government, on December 14, 2023, learned from the Israeli authorities that Joshua had been killed by Hamas. Tanzanian Foreign Affairs Minister January Makamba, shared this information through his page on the X platform. In a parallel incident, another Tanzanian named Clemence Mtenga, aged 22, was also killed in the conflict, with his remains returned to Tanzania on November 27, 2023. Efforts by the Tanzanian and Israeli governments have been underway to locate and repatriate their citizens from the conflict zone, which includes 260 students among others.
Joshua's Body Still Held by Hamas
While Clemence Mtenga's body was repatriated and laid to rest in the Rombo district of the Kilimanjaro region, Joshua Mollel's body is still held by Hamas in Gaza. Hamas has refused to release or provide information on Joshua and approximately 129 other Israeli captives, 21 of whom have been confirmed deceased. Recovering all captives remains a high priority for Israel in the ongoing conflict that has claimed about 21,000 lives over 81 days.
Other National Challenges Persist
