Two Tanzanian students who were held hostage by Hamas in Gaza have been identified by the Israeli government.
The names of the students are Joshua Loitu Mollel and Clemence Felix Mtenga. They were participating in an agricultural internship program in Israel, as confirmed by Israel’s foreign ministry.
According to a statement from the Israeli government, the students were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and are currently being held hostage in Gaza.
Mr. Mollel’s father expressed hope that his eldest son would be safely returned. He mentioned that Tanzania’s ambassador to Israel informed him about the collaboration between the two governments to secure their release.
Although no official comments have been made by Tanzanian authorities regarding the situation, concerns have been raised among the public.
Before receiving confirmation of his son’s hostage situation, Mr. Mollel shared his distress with the BBC, revealing that he couldn’t eat or sleep because he was desperate to know what had happened to his son.
Mr. Mollel’s last conversation with his son took place on Thursday, October 5, just two days before the Hamas gunmen attacked Kibbutz Nahal Oz, where he was studying. In their final exchange, Mr. Mollel advised his son to behave well and make the most of his internship experience.
Currently, there is no public statement from Mr. Mtenga’s family.
These students were part of a group of 260 Tanzanian students in Israel.
On October 7, Hamas carried out a terrorist attack in Israel, resulting in the massacre of 1,400 people. During the attack, more than 230 hostages were taken to the Gaza Strip, which is under Hamas control. It has been reported that these hostages come from 25 different countries, including an unidentified South African.
Regarding the situation of the Tanzanian students, Hamas has claimed to have hidden them in safe places and tunnels within Gaza.
Thankfully, four hostages, including 85-year-old Yocheved Lifschitz, have been released so far. Yocheved Lifschitz and her husband Oded were kidnapped from a different kibbutz. She mentioned that she had been hit with sticks during the abduction but was treated well otherwise, even shaking hands with her Hamas captor during the handover.
Since the attack, Israel has responded with airstrikes, resulting in more than 8,000 casualties according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas control.
