Hamas-Israel news: IDF retrieves body of Thai hostage Nattapong Pinta as 95 more people reported killed in Gaza war offensive
Share this @internewscast.com

In TEL AVIV, Israel announced on Saturday that it had successfully recovered the remains of a Thai individual who was taken hostage and transported into the Gaza Strip during a Hamas-led attack that initiated the ongoing conflict. According to Gaza’s health ministry, the Israeli military has continued its aggression, resulting in the death of at least 95 individuals over the past 24 hours.

Through a specialized military operation, the body of Nattapong Pinta was returned to Israel. Pinta, who had come to Israel to work in the agriculture sector, was reportedly captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed in the early days of the war, which commenced on October 7, 2023.

The foreign ministry of Thailand confirmed that the last Thai national held hostage in Gaza has been declared deceased, and they noted that the remains of two other nationals still need to be recovered.

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, Judith Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies were retrieved on Thursday.

Thais were the largest group of foreigners held captive by Hamas militants. Many of the agricultural workers lived 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 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 (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 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 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 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 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% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians.

___

Mohammad Jahjouh reported from Rafah, Gaza Strip. Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut.

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Mugshots of Jon and Carie Hallford.

Funeral Home Owner Sentenced for Storing 190 Decomposing Bodies and Giving Families Fake Ashes

A funeral home owner, who engaged in the distressing act of hiding…
Jeff Bezos' Venice wedding to Lauren Sánchez causes a stir

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Venice wedding creates a buzz

While Bezos’ team has been tight-lipped about wedding details, one official’s cost…
Feel-Good Friday: Family Models Value of 'Showing Up' With Surprise Visit to Attend Dad's Commencement

Feel-Good Friday: Family Exemplifies the Importance of ‘Being There’ by Surprising Dad at His Graduation

A quote I often reflect on comes from the Victorian-era author, George…
Woman using a walker in her garden.

Retiree Threatened with Home Loss Over $38K Trash Bin Fine Starting from a Missed Move During Vacation 10 Years Ago

A WOMAN has stated that she might lose her $65,000 home due…
US stocks hit record highs amid trade policy concerns

US Stocks Reach All-Time Highs Despite Trade Policy Worries

President Donald Trump’s decision Friday to halt trade talks with Canada threatened…
Supreme Court permits Trump to end protections for 500,000 immigrants

Supreme Court Set to Announce Rulings on 6 Pending Cases This Friday Morning

One of the questions the justices are considering is whether to restrict…
Colorado funeral home owner accused of stashing nearly 190 bodies to be sentenced for fraud

Colorado Funeral Home Owner Facing Sentencing for Fraud After Discovery of Nearly 190 Hidden Bodies

DENVER (AP) — A funeral home owner in Colorado is set to…
School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania accused of failing to properly inspect asbestos in buildings, facing federal charges

Philadelphia School District Faces Federal Charges for Alleged Negligence in Asbestos Inspections

PHILADELPHIA — Federal prosecutors brought charges against Philadelphia’s public school system on…
Young woman in hospital gown holding beach umbrella pole that impaled her.

18-Year-Old Lifeguard Speaks Out After Beach Umbrella Pierces Flesh, Barely Missing Major Artery

A LIFEGUARD impaled by a beach umbrella has recalled she was lucky…
Inside that shocking prostate cancer diagnosis

Confronting a Surprising Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Spoiler alert for the June 26, 2025 episode of “And Just Like…
CCTV footage of a fire in a Seoul subway carriage.

Terrifying incident as ‘furious divorcee’ sets fire to rush hour subway train after pouring petrol, engulfing commuters in flames

THIS is the terrifying moment an “angry divorcee” flooded a packed tube…
Crowd gathered outside Barthelemy Boganda High School following a stampede.

Tragic Incident at High School: 29 Students Dead and Over 250 Injured in Explosion and Stampede During Exam

AT least 29 students have been killed and 250 injured after an…