Israel says it has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage kidnapped into Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023

Boston Globe

7 hours ago

This comes two days after the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages were retrieved. Fifty-five hostages remain in Gaza, of whom Israel says more than half are dead.
The defense minister said Saturday that Pinta's body was retrieved from the Rafah area. He had come to Israel from Thailand to work in agriculture.
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The army said he was taken into Gaza by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that it said had also abducted and killed Shiri Bibas and her two small children. It's also the same group that took the two Israeli-American hostages, Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies were retrieved by the army Thursday.
Israel said it found Pinta's body based on information received from the hostage task force and military intelligence.
A statement from the hostage forum, which supports the hostages, said it stands with Pinta's family and shares in their grief. It called on the country's decision makers to bring home the remaining hostages and give those who have died a proper burial.
Thais were the largest group of foreigners held captive by Hamas militants. Many of the Thai agricultural workers lived in compounds on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns, and Hamas militants overran those places first. A total of 46 Thais have been killed during the conflict, according to Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Before Pinta's body was retrieved, three Thai hostages remained in captivity and two were confirmed dead. The fate of Pinta was uncertain until today, according to the hostage forum.
Israel continues its military campaign, with more deaths reported
The retrieval of Pinta's body comes as Israel continues its military campaign across Gaza.
Four strikes hit the Muwasi area in southern Gaza between Rafah and Khan Younis. In northern Gaza, one strike hit an apartment, killing seven people including a mother and five children. Their bodies were taken to Shifa hospital.
Israel said Saturday that it's responding to Hamas' 'barbaric attacks' and is dismantling its capabilities. It said it follows international law and takes all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.
Reports say some of the dead were trying to get food aid
Staff at Nasser hospital where six of the bodies were taken, said they were killed while on their way to get food assistance.
Israel's army said Saturday that despite prior warnings that the area is an active combat zone during nighttime hours, several suspects attempted to approach army troops operating in the Tel al-Sultan area overnight 'in a manner that posed a threat to the troops'. The army said the troops called to drive them away but as they continued advancing they fired warning shots. The army said it was aware of reports of casualties.
An army official who can't be named in line with military procedures, said the warning shots were fired approximately one kilometer (half a mile) from the aid distribution site.
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Shootings have erupted frequently in the vicinity of new hubs where desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. The hubs are being run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a newly formed group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants GHF to replace humanitarian groups in Gaza that distribute aid in coordination with the U.N.
Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid under the U.N.-led system. But the U.N. and aid groups deny there is a significant diversion of aid to militants, and say the new system — which they have rejected — allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates humanitarian principles and won't be effective.
It was unclear if the sites opened on Saturday.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. They are still holding 55 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies.
Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians.