**Tragic Recovery of Thai Hostage Body in Gaza After 20 Months**

The Israeli military operation revealed Nattapong had likely been dead for many months, leaving behind a grieving family.

The Israeli government has confirmed the recovery of the body of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai national who was taken hostage during a Hamas-led attack in October 2023. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Nattapong’s body was retrieved during a military operation in the Rafah region of southern Gaza. The 35-year-old agricultural worker had been abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he was employed to support his family in Thailand.

Preliminary reports indicate that Nattapong may have died shortly after his abduction, as an Israeli military official suggested he likely did not survive long in captivity. For over 20 months, his family and the wider community remained uncertain of his fate, a devastating period described by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group.

The operation to recover his body was initiated following interrogations of a captured militant, leading the military to pinpoint Nattapong’s location. In prior developments, two Israeli-American hostages were recovered from Gaza, and additional bodies of victims were also found in the region.

Nattapong left behind a young child and was married when he was abducted. His recovery, while significant, has sparked renewed calls for the Israeli government to secure the release of remaining hostages; reports indicate that 54 captives are still being held, with some believed to be deceased. The war has resulted in extensive casualties, with Gaza health authorities reporting over 54,000 civilian deaths since the conflict’s escalation.