In a solemn confirmation, Israeli authorities announced on Wednesday that the remains returned were identified as those of Sudthisak Rinthalak. This development now leaves Israeli police officer Ran Gvili as the last known hostage in Gaza.
Sudthisak Rinthalak, a Thai national, had been in Israel to earn a livelihood for his family back home in Thailand. Tragically, he was killed during the brutal attacks of October 7, 2023. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Rinthalak’s body was initially taken from the orchards at Kibbutz Be’eri—a community that endured severe losses during the massacre. His remains were subsequently held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the enclave’s second-largest militant group.
In response to this heart-wrenching situation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement expressing that Sudthisak’s remains would be returned to Thailand for a dignified burial, in collaboration with the Thai Embassy in Israel.
The statement expressed shared grief with Rinthalak’s family and the Thai nation, acknowledging the collective pain of all families affected by these events. It also included a message of gratitude from the Rinthalak family and Thai Ambassador to Israel, Boonyarit Vichienpuntu, who conveyed their appreciation for Israel’s efforts in recovering Sudthisak and for the continual support extended to them since the conflict’s onset.
In a poignant display of solidarity, individuals held paper cutouts of deceased hostages, including Ran Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak, during a rally demanding the return of all hostages’ remains from Gaza, marking over two years since the tragic attacks of October 7, 2023. (Photo: Nir Elias/Reuters)
The Israeli government, alongside its Directorate for the Hostages and the Missing, remains resolute in their mission to secure the return of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, a valiant fighter and hero of the National Counter-Terrorism Unit, for a rightful Jewish burial.
Rinthalak was raised in Rattanawapi in Nong Khai province, and his family said that his favorite food was an omelet with tomatoes, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Rinthalak is survived by his brother and his parents.
Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, where he was working at the time. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
Prior to his remains being returned to Israel, Rinthalak’s family told Israeli news outlet Ynet that he said he would be coming home for good once he saved a bit more money.
“About 10 days before October 7 was the last time we spoke,” Rinthalak’s mother, On, told Ynet. “We asked him to come home to Thailand for a visit. We hadn’t seen him in many years, ever since he went to Israel for work. He told us he wanted to save a bit more money and then come home for good. Then October 7 happened and he was murdered. I want my son home as soon as possible. I wait for him every day.”
Ran Gvili stands in his police uniform. He was hailed a hero for his actions in staving off terrorists and saving many during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in southern Israel. (Gvili family)
Gvili, who is the last hostage in Gaza, was killed in the Oct. 7 attacks and his body was taken into the Gaza Strip, where it has been held since the 2023 massacre.
“When this nightmare began, there were 255 hostages. Their families became one big family. We held each other through every unbearable moment. Every time someone returned, there was a feeling that part of us came back. And now we’re down to the last two in the darkness of Gaza. I’m terrified that after bringing so many home, my Ran will be left behind. There’s this crushing feeling I can’t shake: when is our turn?” Gvili’s mother, Talik, wrote in a Fox News op-ed.
