A farewell ceremony was held earlier today at Ben Gurion Airport for Joshua Loitu Mollel, the Tanzanian agricultural student who was murdered by Hamas terrorists during the October 7th massacre. The emotional sendoff preceded the return of his body to Tanzania for burial, as crowds gathered to accompany him on his final journey and pay their respects.
Mollel, 21, arrived in Israel just 19 days before the attack, as part of an agricultural training program organized by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A dedicated student of agronomy, he had come to Kibbutz Nahal Oz with the hope of gaining practical experience in farming to help uplift his family and community back home. On the morning of the attack, Mollel was working at the kibbutz dairy farm when he was brutally murdered. His body was subsequently taken by Hamas into Gaza.
His loss has deeply impacted both the Israeli public and the wider international community. Described by his family as polite, kind, and hardworking, Mollel was remembered for his ever-present bright smile and determination to improve life in his home country.
In a letter presented during the ceremony, dozens of Israeli hostage families conveyed their heartfelt condolences to the Mollel family:
"We wish to express our deepest sorrow for the murder of your eldest and beloved son, Joshua Luituo Mollel. We, the families of the hostages in Israel, share in the torment you have endured - the anxiety for Joshua’s fate, the horror and grief upon learning of his murder, and the fear that he will not return. We hope that bringing him home for burial beside you in Tanzania will bring your hearts some certainty and rest, and that you will find comfort."
Mollel was one of 14 international students killed by Hamas during the attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Their presence in Israel was part of a broader effort to share agricultural expertise and foster cooperation with developing nations.
His memory now stands as a poignant reminder of the global reach of Hamas's terror, and of the innocent lives caught in its wake. Joshua Loitu Mollel, of blessed memory, is survived by his parents and four siblings: Hosiana, Juliet, Nathaniel, and Dorcas.