The Israeli military has recovered the body of Thai national Nattapong Pinta, one of the 251 people abducted during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Saturday.
Pinta, an agricultural worker, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border. His remains were found in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, reportedly held by the Mujahedeen Brigades, a Palestinian militant faction. Katz said the group abducted Pinta alive and later killed him. His family in Thailand has been informed.
The Israeli military also said the same group is still holding the body of another foreign national. The Mujahedeen Brigades has not commented. It previously denied killing captives.
Earlier this week, Israel retrieved the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages believed to have been killed by the same group. Authorities also say the Mujahedeen Brigades were responsible for the deaths of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, whose remains were returned during a temporary ceasefire that ended in March.
Of the 55 hostages still in Gaza, only 20 are thought to be alive, according to Israeli estimates.
Israel’s war campaign, launched in response to Hamas’ October assault—which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians—has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The United Nations says much of Gaza’s population is now facing famine conditions, with child malnutrition rates nearly tripling amid an Israeli blockade.
Aid Efforts Falter Amid Security Concerns
The U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) suspended aid operations on Friday, citing overcrowding and unsafe conditions. It remains unclear whether distributions resumed Saturday.
On Wednesday, the GHF asked the Israeli military to reassess its security measures after Palestinian health officials reported that over 80 people were killed and hundreds wounded near food distribution sites earlier in the week.
GHF began operations in late May with a new, controversial aid delivery model. The U.N. has criticized the group’s approach as lacking neutrality. GHF says it has delivered around 9 million meals to Gaza so far.
Meanwhile, families of hostages continue to fear for the lives of those still held in Gaza, and for the fate of the deceased, as Israel intensifies its military campaign in the enclave.