Israel has retrieved the physique of a Thai nationwide taken hostage through the Hamas-led assault in October 2023, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says.
He stated the physique of Nattapong Pinta was retrieved throughout a particular operation within the Rafah space of southern Gaza on Friday. The 35-year-old was working as an agricultural labourer in southern Israel when he was kidnapped.
Mr Nattapong is prone to have been killed throughout his first months of captivity, an Israeli navy official stated. Earlier than the operation, it was not recognized whether or not he was lifeless or alive.
It comes after the Israeli military recovered the our bodies of two Israeli Individuals in Gaza earlier this week.
Mr Nattapong was the married father of a younger son, the navy official stated. He had been working at Kibbutz Nir Oz to assist his household in Thailand when he was captured by a militant group referred to as the Mujahideen Brigades.
The Israel Protection Forces stated in an announcement that the mission to recuperate his physique was launched following info from the interrogation of a “captured terrorist”.
After stories of his restoration on Saturday, the BBC tried to achieve out to Mr Nattapong’s spouse. She didn’t reply the decision however texted again with an image of her son crying.
The Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board marketing campaign group stated the restoration comes after “20 horrible and agonising months of devastating uncertainty”.
The group urged the Israeli authorities to achieve an settlement with Hamas to free the remaining captives.
Mr Nattapong is believed to be the final remaining Thai nationwide kidnapped through the 7 October 2023 assault. 5 Thai hostages have been launched throughout a ceasefire earlier this 12 months – all of them alive.
The Israeli military retrieved the our bodies of an aged couple, Judy and Gadi Haggai, within the Gazan metropolis of Khan Younis on Thursday.
The couple have been killed on the similar kibbutz and their our bodies have been additionally held by the Mujahideen Brigades, based on the IDF.
Israel launched a navy marketing campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led cross-border assault nearly 20 months in the past, during which about 1,200 individuals have been killed and 251 others have been taken hostage.
Some 54 of these captured through the assault stay in captivity, together with 31 the Israeli navy says are lifeless.
At the least 54,677 individuals have been killed in Gaza through the battle, based on the territory’s well being ministry.
