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The Israeli military has retrieved the body of a Thai national who was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz and subsequently killed while being held captive by the terror group Kataeb al-Mujahideen, shortly after the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023.
According to the military, the remains of Natthapong Pinta were returned to Israel following a coordinated effort by the Israeli Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency, announced on Saturday.
“In a collaborative operation executed by the IDF and ISA on Friday, the body of Nattapong Pinta, a citizen of Thailand, was successfully recovered from the Rafah region in the Gaza Strip,” read a joint statement from the IDF and ISA.
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.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz offered his condolences to the family of Natthapong Pinta. (REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
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.”
Natthapong Pinta’s body was returned to Israel after an operation by the Israeli Defense Forces and Israeli Security Agency. (FNC IDF)
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.
Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this report.
