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CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Israel retrieves body of Thai hostage as 95 more people reported killed in Gaza offensive
This undated photo provided by the Hostage's Family Forum shows Nattapong Pinta, with his wife and son. (Hostage's Family Forum via AP) TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel said Saturday it retrieved the body of a Thai hostage abducted into the Gaza Strip during the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war, as Israel's military continued its offensive, killing at least 95 people in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's health ministry. Nattapong Pinta had come to Israel to work in agriculture. Israel's government said he was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed early in the war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023. Thailand's foreign ministry said the bodies of two other citizens were yet to be retrieved. Thais were the largest group of foreigners held captive. Many lived on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns, the first places overrun in the attack. Forty-six Thais have been killed during the war, according to the foreign ministry. Israel's defense minister said Pinta's body was retrieved from the Rafah area in southern Gaza. The army said he was seized by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that also took two Israeli-American hostages, Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies were retrieved on Thursday. Israel's military later said it killed the head of the Mujahideen Brigades, As'ad Aby Sharaiya, in Gaza City on Saturday. Fifty-five hostages remain in Gaza. Israel says more than half are dead. Families rallied again Saturday evening in Israel, calling for a ceasefire deal to bring everyone home. Hamas issued an unusual warning about another hostage, Matan Zangauker, saying Israel's military had surrounded the area where he's held and that any harm that came to him during a rescue attempt would be Israel's responsibility. Israel's military didn't immediately comment. 'The decision to expand the (military) ground maneuver is at the cost of Matan's life and the lives of all the hostages,' Zangauker's mother, Einav, told the rally in Tel Aviv. Israel continues its military offensive A strike in Gaza City killed six members of a family, including two children, according to the Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals. Israel's military said the strike targeted the Mujahideen Brigades leader. 'This is the real destruction,' a man said as he carried the body of a small boy from the scene. Four Israeli strikes hit the Muwasi area in southern Gaza between Rafah and Khan Younis. In northern Gaza, a strike hit an apartment, killing seven people including a mother and five children. Their bodies were taken to Shifa hospital. 'Stand up, my love,' one weeping woman said, touching the shrouded bodies. Israel said it was responding to Hamas' 'barbaric attacks' and dismantling its capabilities. It said it takes all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Reports say some of the dead tried to get food aid Staff at Nasser hospital, which received the bodies of six people over the past 24 hours, said they were killed while on their way to get food aid. Much of Gaza's population of over 2 million relies on aid after widespread destruction of agriculture as well as a recent Israeli blockade. Experts have warned of famine. Israel's army has warned that the aid distribution area is an active combat zone during nighttime hours. It said several suspects attempted to approach troops operating in the Tel al-Sultan area overnight 'in a manner that posed a threat.' The army said troops called out, then fired warning shots as the suspects advanced. An army official who couldn't be named in line with military procedures said the shots were fired about a kilometre (half-mile) from the distribution site. Over the past two weeks, shootings have occurred frequently near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, at individuals approaching. The hubs are run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and aid groups. A GHF spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with the group's rules, said it didn't feed Gaza residents on Saturday and blamed Hamas threats. There was no immediate Hamas response. Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid under the U.N.-led system. The U.N. and aid groups deny there's 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. The U.N says it has been unable to distribute much aid under its system because of Israeli military restrictions on movements and insecurity. Separately, Palestinians lined up at a soup kitchen in Gaza City for handouts on the second day of Eid al-Adha. 'I have been standing here for more than an hour and a half. I feel I have a sunstroke, and I am in need,' said Farida al-Sayed, who said she had six people to feed. 'I only had lentils, and I ran out of them.' Death tolls since the war began Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. Most were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Hamas-run Gaza and displaced around 90 per cent of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians. Sam Mednick And Mohammad Jahjouh, The Associated Press Mohammad Jahjouh reported from Rafah, Gaza Strip. Bassem Mroue and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut, and Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed to this report.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israel Retrieves Body of Thai Hostage from Gaza, Airstrikes Kill 95
Israel said Saturday that it had retrieved the body of a Thai hostage abducted into the Gaza Strip during the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war, as the Israeli military continued its offensive, killing at least 95 people in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's health ministry. Nattapong Pinta's body was returned to Israel in a special military operation. Pinta came to Israel to work in agriculture. Israel's government said that he was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed early in the war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023. Thailand's foreign ministry reported that the last Thai hostage in Gaza was confirmed dead, and said the bodies of two others are yet to be retrieved. Fifty-five hostages remain in Gaza. Israel says more than half are dead. Families were rallying again Saturday evening in Israel, calling for a ceasefire deal that would bring everyone home. Israel's defense minister said that Pinta's body was retrieved from the Rafah area in southern Gaza. The army said that he was seized by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that also took two Israeli-American hostages, Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies were retrieved on Thursday. Thais were the largest group of foreigners held captive by Hamas. Many of the agricultural workers lived on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns, and Hamas fighters overran those places first. A total of 46 Thais have been killed during the war, according to Thailand's foreign ministry. Separately, Hamas issued an unusual warning about another hostage, Matan Zangauker, saying Israel's military had surrounded the area where he's being held and that any harm that came to him during a rescue attempt would be Israel's responsibility. Israel's military didn't immediately comment. Israel continues its military offensive Four Israeli 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 'Stand up, my love,' one weeping woman said, touching the shrouded bodies. Another strike in Gaza City killed six members of a family, including two children, according to the Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals. Israel said that it was responding to Hamas' 'barbaric attacks' and dismantling its capabilities. It said it takes all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Reports say some of the dead tried to get food aid Staff at Nasser hospital, which received the bodies of six people over the past 24 hours, said that they were killed while on their way to get food aid. Much of Gaza's population of more than 2 million relies on aid after widespread destruction of agriculture and markets as well as a recent Israeli blockade. Experts have warned of famine. Israel's army said that despite warnings that the aid distribution area is an active combat zone during nighttime hours, several suspects attempted to approach troops operating in the Tel al-Sultan area overnight 'in a manner that posed a threat." The army said that troops called out, but as the suspects continued advancing, they fired warning shots. An army official who couldn't be named in line with military procedures said that the shots were fired about a kilometer from the distribution site. Over the past two weeks, shootings have occurred frequently near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said that it fired warning shots or, in some instances, at individuals approaching troops. The hubs are run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants GHF to replace humanitarian groups in Gaza that distribute aid in coordination with the United Nations. A GHF spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with the group's rules, said that it didn't feed Gaza residents on Saturday and blamed Hamas threats. There was no immediate Hamas response. Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid under the UN-led system. The UN and aid groups deny there's 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. The UN says it has been unable to distribute much aid under its own system because of Israeli military restrictions on movements and insecurity. Separately, Palestinians lined up at a soup kitchen in Gaza City for handouts on the second day of Eid al-Adha. 'I have been standing here for more than an hour and a half. I feel I have a sunstroke, and I am in need,' said the waiting Farida al-Sayed, who said she had six people to feed. 'I only had lentils, and I ran out of them.' Death tolls since the war began Hamas-led fighters killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. Most were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Hamas-run Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
IDF recovers body of Thai hostage
The Israeli military has recovered the body of a Thai national who was held hostage in the Gaza Strip. The remains of Nattapong Pinta were recovered in a special operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza. Mr Pinta was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the Oct 7 2023 attack on Israel, and he was killed in captivity shortly after being taken, the IDF said. He had been working as a farm labourer on the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel, just a few miles east of Gaza's border, when he was abducted. The Thai national is the most recent hostage whose body has been found. On Thursday, the Israeli military recovered the bodies of US-Israeli dual citizens Judith Weinstein Haggai, 70, and Gad Haggai, 72, who were both residents of the same kibbutz where Mr Pinta worked. Israeli authorities have said they believe all three of the recently found hostages were murdered by the terrorists who kidnapped them. The attack that Hamas launched on Oct 7 surprised and devastated Israel, with the terrorist group killing more than 1,000 people, including hundreds of security personnel, and taking over 200 hostages. About 30 Thais were abducted that day. Roughly two-thirds of those kidnapped on Oct 7 were subsequently released as part of deals between Israel and Hamas. Forty-six Thais have been killed during the conflict, the Thai foreign affairs ministry has said. The war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Oct 7 attack, continues to rage on in Gaza. Attempts to broker a ceasefire and peace deal have repeatedly hit roadblocks. Hamas has rejected proposed deals that do not guarantee a full Israeli withdrawal from the Strip and an end to the war. Mr Pinta, 36, who is survived by a young son and wife, was among those taken after he'd migrated to Israel as an agricultural labourer in 2022. At the time of the Oct 7 attack, there were about 30,000 Thai migrant workers in Israel. Many of them returned home primarily via government evacuation flights, and some vowed never to return, given the risks they faced due to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Since then, however, the Thai government has continued to grant permissions for its citizens to work in Israel. Thais remain the largest group of foreign farm workers in Israel, with about 38,000 in the country, according to Thai officials. There are 55 hostages remaining in Gaza, though only about 20 of them are believed to still be alive, according to Israeli authorities. Israel said its expanded offensive in the Strip, named Operation Gideon's Chariot, will increase the chances of returning the missing. However, many of the hostages' families have expressed alarm at the new tactic of seizing and holding territory, which follows heavy bombardment, and are urging Benjamin Netanyahu to make a deal with Hamas. The Thai Embassy has been notified about Mr Pinta, according to the prime minister's office. 'We express our deep gratitude and appreciation to our brave commanders and soldiers for this important and successful operation,' said a statement from Netanyahu's office. 'We will not rest and we will not be silent until all our hostages are brought home – both the living and the deceased.' 'We stand with Nattapong's family today and share in their grief,' an Israeli hostage support group said in a statement. 'While the pain is immense, his family will finally have certainty after 20 terrible and agonising months of devastating uncertainty,' the statement said. 'Every family deserves such certainty to begin their personal healing journey.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Israel says it has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage kidnapped into Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023
This undated photo provided by the Hostage's Family Forum shows Nattapong Pinta, with his wife and son. (Hostage's Family Forum via AP) TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel says it has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage kidnapped into Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, as it continues its military offensive across the strip, killing at least 22 people overnight, according to health officials. The Prime Minister's office said Saturday that the body of Thai citizen Nattapong Pinta was returned to Israel in a special military operation. Pinta was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed in captivity near the start of the war, said the government. 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. 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. 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. The retrieval of Pinta's body comes as Israel continues its military campaign across Gaza. Hospital officials said they received the bodies of nearly two dozen people Saturday. 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. 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 per cent of its population of roughly two million Palestinians. Jahjouh reported from Rafah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press reporter Bassem Mroue contributed from Beirut, Lebanon. Sam Mednick And Mohammad Jahjouh, The Associated Press
New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Israel Recovers Body of Thai Farmworker in Gaza
Israelis security forces have recovered the body of a Thai citizen who was abducted and taken back to Gaza in the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, the military said on Saturday. Nattapong Pinta was in his 30s and was a farmworker at Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel when he was taken hostage. He was held and later killed by members of the Mujahideen Brigades, a small militant group in Gaza, according to the Israeli military statement. Security forces brought the body back from the Rafah area in southern Gaza after the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency obtained intelligence from a Palestinian militant during an interrogation, the statement added. Palestinian militants took dozens of Thai farmworkers hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. During a short cease-fire in November 2023, 23 Thai captives were released and five others were released during another cease-fire this year. Israel believes the bodies of two other Thai citizens, Sonthaya Oakkharasri and Sudthisak Rinthalak, remain in Gaza, according to Yahel Kurlander, a sociologist who has been fighting for the release of Thai hostages. The latest hostage retrieval brings the number of remaining living and dead captives believed to still be held in Gaza to 55. The Israeli government has said that up to 23 are believed to be alive. Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, updated his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa, about the details of the operation to bring the Thai farmworker's body back to Israel, according to a statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry. He was married and has a son, the ministry said. He had been in Israel for more than a year when he was taken hostage, and he was a strong personality who acted as a bridge between other Thai farmworkers at Nir Oz and employers, according to Josh Lawson, an official in the Israeli prime minister's office who deals with foreign hostages.
