Who was Joshua Mollel, Tanzanian agricultural student abducted by Hamas?
Joshua Mollel, a Tanzanian intern at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, was tragically killed in the Hamas attack. Friends remember him as brave and hopeful.
Joshua Loitu Mollel, a Tanzanian agricultural student on Kibbutz Nahal Oz, was 21 years old when he was murdered during the October 7 massacre, with his body kidnapped to Gaza. His remains were returned to Israel and confirmed following forensic identification processes.
Mollel arrived in Israel on September 7, 2023, as part of theAgrostudies agricultural training program, a program that would allow him to learn practical skills he could bring home to contribute to the Tanzanian agricultural sector.
He lived and worked at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, near the Gaza border, alongside his roommate, Evasius Cleophace, who survived. During the attack, Mollel was working on the kibbutz’s dairy farm and had remained in touch with Cleophace for several hours before contact was cut. Mollel was never heard from again.
Ezekiel Kitiku, a fellow Tanzanian intern, was living and working with fellow Tanzanian abductee Clemence Mtenga on Kibbutz Nir Oz in the dairy farm. He toldthe BBC that as the air raid sirens sounded on October 7, and he ran for shelter, he texted both Mtenga and Mollel.
“They told me that there were so many rockets coming from Gaza – and that they were going to the shelters too,” he said. But a few hours later, they were no longer answering.
IDF soldiers in deceased hostage funeral (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)
Other Tanzanian students and survivors spoke of Mollel often, even months later, reflecting his strong friendships and the deep emotional impact of his loss.
Despite the horror of his death, Joshua is remembered by the Tanzanian students as a symbol of courage, hope, and quiet determination. His community remembers Mollel as someone who came to Israel to learn, work hard, and uplift others.
Following his abduction, for weeks, his family and Israeli NGO Hotline for Refugees and Migrants (HRM) searched for information. On December 13, 2023, Israel’s Foreign Ministry informed his father, Loitu Mollel, that Joshua had been murdered and that his body was being held by Hamas.
Soon after, graphic videos showing Joshua’s abduction and murder circulated widely on social media – published by Israeli media and official accounts without the family’s consent. His relatives learned of his death from these videos, causing deep trauma.
On December 24, Joshua’s father and nephew traveled to Israel, where they met with government officials, visited Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and attended a memorial ceremony in his honor.
Tanzania’s Foreign Minister, January Makamba, said in a statement that Mollel was “immediately killed after being kidnapped by Hamas,” according to information from Israeli authorities, adding that his father, Loitu Mollel, will be traveling to Israel with a government official to receive more information.
Joshua – the oldest of five children – had finished a diploma in agriculture studies from a college in the eastern Tanzanian city of Morogoro and then left for Israel in September, his first time traveling out of Tanzania. In the weeks that followed the massacre and his abduction, his father spoke tothe BBC, telling them he last spoke to Joshua on October 5, two days before the Hamas invasion.
“I said, ‘Be on your best behavior because you’re somewhere new, and make the most of the internship you’re there to do,’” he recalled. “My son wants to make his fortune in agribusiness and become one of Tanzania’s most successful farmers,” his father said at the time, saying they were hoping he would return home from his studies to build a successful business.
‘Not a warrior – he just went for training’
His father expressed that his son was “not a warrior – he just went for training, but now is in trouble.” He described his son as polite, obedient, and serious about his work. Louito also told the BBC that Joshua’s younger siblings “ask me every morning and night: ‘Dad, we want to talk to our brother.’”
Local NGOs have widely criticized Israeli authorities for mishandling communications with Mollel’s family and failing to provide equal psychological and financial support to foreign victims. It calls on the state to recognize Tanzanian students like Mollel as full victims of terrorism — and to ensure his body is returned home to Tanzania for burial.
