Second Tanzanian killed in October 7 attacks in Israel

A Tanzanian agriculture student reported missing after the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel was killed in the attack, the Tanzanian government announced Thursday.

Tanzanian Joshua Mollel, who was part of an Israeli-sponsored agricultural program, was “killed immediately after being kidnapped by Hamas,” Tanzanian Foreign Minister January Makamba said in a speech. rack.

Mr. Makamba gave no details about how Mr. Mollel was killed, where or how his body was found, or how the government knew he had died immediately. He said he had spoken to Mr Mollel’s father, who he said would travel to Israel to meet officials there.

Mr. Mollel is the second Tanzanian national confirmed killed in the Oct. 7 attacks, when Hamas fighters crossed the border from Gaza and killed 1,200 people and kidnapped about 240 others, according to Israeli officials.

Last month the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said said another Tanzanian citizen, Clemence Felix Mtenga, was killed in the attacks.

Mr Mollel and Mr Mtenga were among 260 Tanzanians involved in one agricultural internship program sponsored by the Israeli government. Mr Mtenga’s body was and was repatriated to Tanzania last month buried in Kirwahis family’s birthplace in the northeast of the country.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has been aiming for this for years improving economic and political ties with African governments. In 2016, Mr Netanyahu became Israel’s first leader traveling to Africa in decadesvisiting Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia, which have a significant Jewish population.

Since then, he has made more trips to the continent, and it has paid off defense and security agreements along with commercial investments in Israeli sectors including irrigation, energy and agriculture.

After many foreign workers picking fruits and vegetables left Israel following the October 7 attacks, the country is turning to Africa to fill the labor gap. Last month, Malawi’s government said it had sent more than 200 farm workers to Israel and more would follow, a decision criticized by the opposition and civil society groups. Last week the Kenyan government followed suitsaying it would ship 1,500 casual workers to Israel to work on farms for a monthly salary of $1,500, far more than they could earn at home.