Israeli forces recover body of Thai hostage killed in Gaza by terror group
Israel's military has recovered the body of a Thai man who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed in captivity by terror group Kataeb al-Mujahideen shortly after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023.
Natthapong Pinta's body was brought back to Israel after an operation by the Israeli Defense Forces and Israeli Security Agency, the military said on Saturday.
"Yesterday (Friday), in a joint IDF and ISA operation, the body of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai national, was recovered from the Rafah area in the Gaza Strip," the IDF and ISA said in a joint statement.
His family in Thailand was notified by the Thai Embassy and by Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, who serves as the coordinator for Captives and Missing Persons in the Israeli prime minister's office.
Natthapong had come to Israel to work in agriculture, according to Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz.
"I send my deepest condolences to his wife, young son, and family, and I thank our heroic soldiers who, time and again, operate under fire to bring back all the hostages, out of a profound moral commitment," Katz said in a statement.
"We will not rest until all the hostages — both the living and the fallen — are returned to Israel," he continued.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a news release that "the recovery of Nattapong Pinta represents the fulfillment of a basic moral and human obligation, allowing his family the closure they desperately need."
In a statement, the Hostage Families Forum said: "We stand with Nattapong's family today and share in their grief."
"While the pain is immense, his family will finally have certainty after 20 terrible and agonizing months of devastating uncertainty," the statement continued. "Every family deserves such certainty to begin their personal healing journey."
Fifty-five hostages remain in Gaza – 33 of whom are confirmed dead, but at least 20 are alive. There is grave concern for the lives of two hostages.
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