Israel identifies latest remains returned by Hamas as Tanzanian student

JERUSALEM, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel said Thursday that the remains handed over by Hamas the previous night were identified as those of a Tanzanian agricultural intern who was killed during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said forensic tests confirmed the identity of Joshua Loitu Mollel, adding that his family had been notified. "The Government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Mollel family," the statement said.

Mollel, 21, had arrived in Israel about two weeks before the Oct. 7 assault as an agronomy student for agricultural training at the Ibim Agricultural Campus in southern Israel. He was killed by Hamas militants at a cowshed in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, where he worked, and his body was taken to the Gaza Strip, the military said.

Tanzania's Foreign Ministry announced his death in December 2023. He is survived by his parents, three sisters, and a brother.

Hamas, which handed over his body on Wednesday night through the Red Cross, said the remains were found in Gaza City's Shuja'iyya neighborhood. The handover was part of an ongoing exchange under the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Under the truce, Hamas has so far returned the remains of 22 hostages. Five bodies remain in Gaza -- four Israelis and one Thai national -- according to Israeli officials.

Gaza health authorities said on Wednesday they had received 15 Palestinian bodies from Israel, bringing the total number of returned bodies to 285.

Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Hamas has released 20 Israeli hostages alive, while Israel has freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and about 1,800 detainees from Gaza, according to Palestinian officials. ■