Israeli Military Retrieves Body of Thai Hostage from Gaza, Says Defense Minister

 

Israeli Military Retrieves Body of Thai Hostage from Gaza, Says Defense Minister The Israeli military has recovered the body of Thai hostage Nattapong Pinta, who had been held in Gaza since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Saturday. Katz stated that Pinta’s body was seized from the area of Rafah in southern Gaza and was held by the Palestinian militant group Mujahedeen Brigades. His family in Thailand has been notified of his death. Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small community near the Gaza border. During the Hamas-led assault that triggered the ongoing conflict, one in four residents of Nir Oz was either killed or taken hostage. The Israeli military reported that Pinta had been brought to Gaza alive but was killed by his captors. In addition, the militants reportedly abducted the bodies of two other Israeli-American hostages, which authorities recovered earlier this week. There was no immediate comment from Hamas or the Mujahedeen Brigades regarding the retrieval.

Hamas’s attack in 2023 resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis, marking the deadliest day in Israel’s history, and involved the taking of 251 hostages. Currently, 55 hostages remain in Gaza, with Israeli authorities believing about 20 are still alive. Israel has responded with a military campaign that has reportedly killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The conflict has devastated much of Gaza, displacing the majority of its over two million residents.

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