A second Tanzanian student, Joshua Mollel, who went missing in Israel in October, has been confirmed dead, the government said on Thursday.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, January Makamba said that Joshua was killed on October 7.
Joshua, 21, was one of the two Tanzanians who had been missing since October 7, 2023, during the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“We have been informed by the government of Israel that Joshua Mollel, a young Tanzanian who was studying in Israel, was killed immediately after being taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023,” Makamba posted on X.
“I have spoken with Joshua’s father about the message from the Israeli government. We are continuing with the previous initial plan to send Mzee Mollel and another family member, together with a government official, to Israel to meet with our ambassador and officials in Israel for further information. With the consent of the family, when necessary, we will provide additional information in the future,” Makamba said.
The confirmation of Joshua’s death comes about two weeks after another Tanzanian student who also died in the Hamas-Israel conflict was buried at home.
Clemence Mtenga, 22, was laid to rest in Tanzania following his death, which was announced after he, too, went missing since October 7, 2023.
Joshua and Clemence were among 260 Tanzanian students who went to Israel for internships in agriculture-related programmes.