The body of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai citizen who was kidnapped on October 7 from the fields of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was returned to Israel early Saturday in a joint operation by the Shin Bet and the Israeli military. Pinta, who leaves behind a wife and a young child, is believed to have been killed while in captivity by the Mujahideen Brigades; until his return, his fate was unknown.
With the return of Pinta’s body, the number of hostages still held in Gaza stands at 55, and Israel estimates that 20 of them are alive.
Pinta was remembered by the agricultural team at Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he worked. “Nattapong was a hardworking and beloved man on the kibbutz,” the field crops team said in a statement. “He always had a smile and a willingness to help with anything needed. He left a mark on everyone who knew him, and of course on all the field workers, who will always remember and commemorate him. We are in contact with his family and will continue to support them in any way needed.”
Pinta moved to Israel in 2022 to earn money to support his wife, Narissara Jantasang, and their son, Weerapat Pinta. In January, when five Thai hostages were released alive, Jantasang told The Guardian that she still had hope for her beloved’s fate.
“I feel hurt, why was it not him?” Jantasang said then. “I don’t know where to find an answer. Nobody can answer. I asked the embassy; the embassy can’t tell me.”
In addition to Pinta, four other foreign nationals are still held in Gaza: Bipin Joshi, a Nepali citizen, whose fate remains unknown; and the bodies of Joshua Mollel from Tanzania, and Sonthaya Oakkharasr and Sudthisak Rinthalak from Thailand.
A statement from Kibbutz Nir Oz described the news that Pinta had been murdered in captivity as “deeply shocking.” “And yet, the certainty in this complex situation provides us with some measure of comfort,” the statement continued. “We wish to thank the IDF and security forces who carried out the complex rescue operation. At the same time, we must again say what must be said: Nattapong was kidnapped alive, and he is the 14th abductee from Nir Oz to be murdered in captivity. Fourteen good, precious people were taken from their beds, survived the worst, and had their lives cruelly taken by their captors. Every minute there puts them at further risk and deepens the trauma and abandonment we are experiencing. They all must be brought back as soon as possible, in a life-saving deal! Our hearts will not be whole until all 11 hostages from Nir Oz—and all 56 hostages—are returned.”
The Hostage Families Forum said that the return of Pinta’s body “represents the fulfillment of a basic moral and human obligation, allowing his family the closure they desperately need.”
“We stand with Nattapong’s family today and share in their grief,” the group said. “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. We emphasize once again that decision-makers must do everything necessary to reach an agreement that will bring back all 55 remaining hostages—the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for proper burial. Israel’s longest war in its history cannot end in victory without all 55 hostages who remain in captivity.”
The prime minister’s office expressed its condolences to Pinta’s family and to the Thai people. “Our deep thanks and appreciation go to our brave commanders and soldiers for this important and successful operation,” the office said. “We will not rest and we will not stop until all our hostages—both the living and the fallen—are brought home.”
