The body of Thai hostage Pinta Nattapong was rescued from captivity in Gaza. Pinta leaves behind a wife and son in Thailand.
By Rachel Avraham
The body of Thai hostage Pinta Nattapong was recovered from the Gaza Strip during a special operation conducted by the IDF and Shin Bet, the Jerusalem Post reported. “The operation was made possible by precise intelligence obtained from a Shin Bet interrogation of a terrorist, along with intelligence received from the Hostage Task Force and the IDF Intelligence Directorate,” the IDF and Shin Bet told the Jerusalem Post.
Pinta was kidnapped alive from Kibbutz Nir Oz by terrorists belonging to the Mujahideen Brigades — a relatively small terror group in the Gaza Strip who was also responsible for the abduction and murder of Shiri Bibas and her two boys Ariel and Kfir, as well as the abduction and murder of the Israeli American couple Gaddi Haggai and Judith Weinstein.
According to the Times of Israel, the IDF said it believed that the terror group murdered Pinta in captivity during the first months of the war. According to the report, the terror group is still holding the body of another foreign national.
“The news of [Nattapong’s] murder is shocking, but nevertheless the certainty in this complex situation provides us with some comfort,” the spokesperson for Kibbutz Nir Oz said in a statement to the Jerusalem Post. “We would like to thank the security forces who were involved in the complex rescue operation. Alongside this, we reiterate what must be said: Nattapong was kidnapped alive, and he is the 14th hostage from Nir Oz to be murdered in captivity,” the statement concluded.
Israel plans on holding a small ceremony in his honor at Ben-Gurion Airport, before sending his body to Thailand so that he can be buried by his family. Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Arutz Sheva: “Pinta Nattapong left his wife, Narissara, and their young son, Wirapat, in Thailand to work in agriculture in Israel — hoping to give them a better future and fulfill their dream of opening a family coffee shop in Thailand.”
President Herzog continued: “But that dream was tragically and painfully cut short when Nattapong was brutally abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz by Mujahideen Brigade terrorists during the Hamas-led terror assault on October 7. Nattapong, who was kidnapped alive, was cruelly murdered in captivity by the terrorists in Gaza. This morning, we received the painful news that his body was recovered last night in a courageous operation by the IDF and Shin Bet. The State of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of Nattapong’s family and of the entire Thai people.”
He added: “Fifty-five hostages are still being held in the hell of captivity in Gaza — in a horrific crime against humanity — and we must continue doing everything possible to bring every one of them home immediately, until the last!”
“Together with all the citizens of Israel, we extend our condolences to Nattapong’s family and the Thai people,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our hostages home – both the living and the dead. The IDF and ISA will continue to make all efforts possible to bring home all the hostages.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said, “We stand with Nattapong’s family today and share in their grief. While the pain is immense, his family will finally have certainty after 20 terrible and agonizing months of devastating uncertainty. Every family deserves such certainty to begin their personal healing journey.”
Pinta was among 31 Thai nationals working in agriculture abducted by terrorists on October 7, the Times of Israel reported. Another two foreign farmhands, from Nepal and Tanzania, were also kidnapped, the Times of Israel added. According to the report, Hamas has since released 29 of them amid hostage deals with Israel. In all, terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 55 hostages, including 54 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists during the October 7th massacre. The Times of Israel reported that they include the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF, while 20 are believed to be alive. There are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said, the Times of Israel noted.
Photo from CBS Mornings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhfBFu7FYok
