Israeli military says it recovered body of Thai hostage from southern Gaza

CNN The body of a Thai hostage Nattapong Pinta who was abducted alive during the October attacks was recovered from southern Gaza in a military operation on Friday according to a declaration from the Israeli military and the Shin Bet precaution organization The announcement comes just days after Israel recovered the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages from Gaza Pinta was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel where he had been working in agriculture according to an Israeli military official who mentioned it is estimated that he was killed during the first months of captivity Pinta was a husband and father working in Israel to help his family in Thailand the official announced We will not rest until all the hostages living and deceased are returned home Defense Minister Israel Katz explained in a declaration The state of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of Nattapong s family and of the entire Thai people revealed Israeli President Isaac Herzog in a announcement shared on social media Saturday evening Pinta was abducted by the Mujahideen the Israel Defense Forces IDF stated a militant group that took part in the Hamas-led October terror attack on Israel The IDF commented it is the same organization that kidnapped the Bibas family and killed Shiri Ariel and Kfir Bibas the mother and two young sons who became the the greater part prominent among Hamas captives Thailand s Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned Saturday that it was deeply saddened by the news of Pinta s death The Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv was informed by a representative of the Israeli leadership that Mr Nattapong Pinta the last Thai hostage has been substantiated dead Nikorndej Balankura a spokesperson for the ministry announced in a video report Earlier this week Israel disclosed that the bodies of Judy Winston-Haggai and Gadi Haggai were recovered from southern Gaza The two were also taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz The couple had four children and seven grandchildren The retrieval of Pinta s body comes with an intense Israeli operation underway in Gaza with the Civil Defense reporting at least people were killed in Israeli attacks on Friday The IDF reported four soldiers were killed and five wounded early Friday morning when an explosive was detonated in a building in Khan Younis in which they were operating causing part of the structure to collapse A total of hostages remain in Gaza including one taken in Twenty are assumed to still be alive Of the people taken hostage by Hamas militants on October countless were migrant workers from poor rural parts of Asia who had gone to work in Israel s agricultural construction and vitality care sectors to send money back home