Israeli authorities have confirmed that the remains returned from Gaza on Wednesday are those of Joshua Loitu Mollel, a 21-year-old Tanzanian agricultural student who was killed during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Mollel had been in Israel for less than three weeks, training at kibbutz Nahal Oz. His family in Tanzania has been notified.
Mollel’s remains were returned as part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, which requires Hamas to hand over the bodies of hostages, while Israel returns the remains of Palestinians. Since the ceasefire began, 22 bodies of hostages have been returned to Israel, with six more still believed to be in Gaza. Israel, in turn, has returned 285 Palestinian bodies to Gaza, though local authorities say identifying them is difficult because of a lack of DNA testing resources.
Hamas has cited widespread destruction in Gaza as a barrier to locating and recovering remains, while Israel has pushed for faster returns and has, in some cases, disputed the identity of the remains handed over.
Separately, Israel announced a new closed military zone along its border with Egypt to curb arms smuggling, including the use of drones. Defense Minister Israel Katz said security forces will be authorized to fire on suspected smugglers, calling the trafficking a serious threat.
Meanwhile, diplomats are working on implementing U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for an international stabilization force in Gaza. The plan requires both broad global support and a mandate from the UN Security Council. Several Arab states, along with the United States and European Union, are in discussions about potential roles and mission scope.
In Israel, a recently freed hostage, Ron Braslavski, has come forward with allegations of sexual and physical abuse while held in Gaza for two years. Braslavski, who was abducted during the October 2023 Nova music festival attack, said he was starved, beaten and subjected to sexual violence intended to degrade him. His account adds to multiple similar allegations from other released hostages.
The Oct. 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of roughly 1,200 people in Israel and the capture of 251 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, whose casualty reporting is widely regarded by independent analysts as generally reliable, though figures cannot be independent.
