Body of Thai Hostage Recovered in Gaza, Israel Confirms

June 7, 2025 — Gaza/Israel

After nearly two years of heartbreaking uncertainty, the body of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai national kidnapped during the October 2023 Hamas-led attacks in Israel, has been recovered in southern Gaza, Israeli officials announced.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that a special military operation in Rafah led to the retrieval of the 35-year-old’s remains on Friday. Pinta had been working as a farm labourer at Kibbutz Nir Oz, close to the Gaza border, when militants abducted him during the deadly attack on October 7, 2023.

A Life Cut Short in Captivity

Israeli military officials believe Mr. Pinta was likely killed during the early months of his captivity. Until the recovery operation, his fate had remained unknown. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the mission was launched based on intelligence obtained from the interrogation of a captured militant affiliated with the Mujahideen Brigades, the group believed to have held Pinta.

Mr. Pinta, a husband and father, had travelled to Israel to provide for his family back in Thailand. Following the announcement of his recovery, the BBC attempted to reach his wife. Though she did not speak, she sent a heart-wrenching photo of their young son in tears.

A Painful Milestone in a Prolonged Crisis

His recovery brings the total number of Thai nationals accounted for since the attack to eleven. Five were previously released alive during a temporary ceasefire, while others were confirmed deceased earlier. Pinta is believed to have been the last remaining Thai hostage from the October 7 abductions.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group advocating for the release of captives, called the recovery a bittersweet development after “20 terrible and agonising months of devastating uncertainty.” The group renewed calls for the Israeli government to reach a deal with Hamas to free the remaining hostages.

Broader Context: A Conflict Still Unresolved

Mr. Pinta’s recovery follows the discovery earlier this week of the bodies of Israeli-American couple Judy and Gadi Haggai in Khan Younis. Like Pinta, they were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz and held by the same militant group.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, launched in response to the October 2023 attack, has now stretched into its 20th month. The initial assault by Hamas and allied groups resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 hostages into Gaza.

According to the IDF, 54 hostages are still believed to be in Gaza, including 31 confirmed dead. Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that over 54,677 people have been killed in the territory since the war began.

A Reminder of the Human Cost

The story of Nattapong Pinta is one of many in this ongoing conflict—but his life, like so many others, serves as a stark reminder of the personal cost of war. A father working abroad to support his family, a life tragically cut short, and a family left to grieve with the heavy weight of not knowing—until now.

As the fighting continues, so too does the plea from families on all sides: bring the hostages home, end the suffering, and find a path to peace.