The Tanzanian ambassador to Israel has confirmed that two citizens from Tanzania are among the 224 hostages held by Hamas after the attacks in Israel on October 7th. The individuals' names have not been disclosed.
The BBC recently interviewed the father of a missing Tanzanian individual in Israel - Joshua Mollel, who was a student of agriculture at a kibbutz that was subjected to the attack.
As of Thursday, he informed the BBC that he has yet to receive any updates regarding his son's well-being or whereabouts.
He mentioned earlier this week that they hadn't communicated since October 5th, just two days prior to the attack. The entire family is deeply distressed and filled with concern. "We can't eat or sleep - when I go to the market people ask me why I'm losing so much weight," he said on Sunday.
The South African authorities have not commented on the report that one of its citizens is among the hostages.
Israel reports that foreigners from 25 different countries are among those being held by Hamas. Out of the 224 individuals in captivity, 135 are foreign nationals. The largest group, comprising 54 individuals, is from Thailand.
Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States, and numerous other nations have all branded Hamas as a terrorist group. At least 1,400 people lost their lives as a result of their entry into Israel from Gaza. Israel responded by attacking Gaza with aircraft, resulting in about 6,500 casualties according to the health ministry administered by Hamas.
