Israeli forces recover body of Thai hostage killed in Gaza by terror group

Israel's military has recovered the body of a Thai man who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed in captivity by terror group Kataeb al-Mujahideen shortly after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct Natthapong Pinta's body was brought back to Israel after an operation by the Israeli Defense Forces and Israeli Defense Agency the military announced on Saturday The previous evening Friday in a joint IDF and ISA operation the body of Nattapong Pinta a Thai national was recovered from the Rafah area in the Gaza Strip the IDF and ISA announced in a joint declaration His family in Thailand was notified by the Thai Embassy and by Brig Gen Res Gal Hirsch who serves as the coordinator for Captives and Missing Persons in the Israeli prime minister's office ISRAEL RECOVERS BODIES OF HOSTAGES FROM GAZA STRIP 'MAY THEIR MEMORY BE BLESSED'Natthapong had come to Israel to work in agriculture according to Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz I send my deepest condolences to his wife young son and family and I thank our heroic soldiers who time and again operate under fire to bring back all the hostages out of a profound moral commitment Katz disclosed in a report We will not rest until all the hostages both the living and the fallen are returned to Israel he continued KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE ISRAELI MILITARY'S OVERVIEW ON WHAT HAPPENED ON OCT The Hostages and Missing Families Forum noted in a news release that the recovery of Nattapong Pinta represents the fulfillment of a basic moral and human obligation allowing his family the closure they desperately need In a message the Hostage Families Forum stated We stand with Nattapong's family in current times and share in their grief While the pain is immense his family will ultimately have certainty after terrible and agonizing months of devastating uncertainty the declaration continued Every family deserves such certainty to begin their personal healing journey Fifty-five hostages remain in Gaza of whom are validated dead but at least are alive There is grave concern for the lives of two hostages Fox News' Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this assessment