Israeli Military Recovers Body of Thai Hostage Held in Gaza

The Israeli military has recovered the body of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai national who was held hostage in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed.

Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Nir Oz kibbutz, a small community near the Israel-Gaza border. The attack on Nir Oz was devastating, with one in four residents either killed or taken hostage.

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According to Katz, Pinta’s body was held by the Palestinian terrorist group known as the Mujahideen Brigades and was retrieved from the Rafah area in southern Gaza. 

His family in Thailand has been notified of the tragic news.

Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Thailand “is deeply saddened to announce that today, the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv was informed by a representative of the Israeli government that Mr Nattapong Pinta, the last Thai hostage, has been confirmed dead.”

Pinta was taken alive by murdered by captors later 

The Israeli military said Pinta was taken alive but was later killed by his captors. This follows the recent recovery of bodies belonging to two Israeli-American hostages, also killed by their abductors, according to Israeli officials.

There has been no immediate response from the Mujahideen Brigades or other militant groups regarding the retrieval.

The October 7 attack by Hamas militants was Israel’s deadliest day in recent history, with more than 1,200 people killed and 251 hostages taken. Israeli authorities say 55 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to still be alive.

In retaliation, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza that has resulted in the deaths of over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The conflict has left much of the Gaza Strip devastated and displaced a majority of its population, which numbers over two million.

The recovery of Pinta’s body marks another somber moment in an ongoing and devastating conflict that continues to impact countless families on both sides.