Body of Thai Hostage Recovered in Gaza Following Israeli Military Operation
The body of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai farmworker kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was recovered by Israeli forces in southern Gaza, the military announced Saturday. Pinta, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz by members of the Mujahideen Brigades, was found during a joint operation of the Shin Bet and the Israeli military, using intelligence from a captured operative.
The Israeli military believes that Pinta was killed in the first months of the war. His death had not previously been confirmed.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
Pinta had come to Israel to work in agriculture and send money home to his wife and young son in Thailand. On the morning of the attack, Pinta called his wife in Thailand and told her he was running from gunfire. He was among 31 Thai nationals abducted during the assault; 28 were later released.
The Mujahideen Brigades, a smaller armed group aligned with Hamas, was also responsible for the killing of Israeli hostages Shiri Bibas and her two sons, as well as Gadi Haggai and Judih Weinstein, whose bodies were found earlier this week. According to the IDF, the group is still holding the body of another foreign national.
Nir Oz, where Pinta worked, lost 47 residents, and more than 70 others were taken hostage. Only four hostages from the kibbutz are believed to be alive.
In total, 55 hostages remain in Gaza.
