Israeli Military Recovers Body of Thai Hostage Killed in Gaza 

Jerusalem — The Israeli military has recovered the body of a Thai national abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack, according to a statement released by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday. 

The hostage, identified as Natthapong Bentha, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the surprise assault by Hamas-led militants and was later killed while in captivity, Israeli officials said. 

“In a special operation carried out by the IDF and the Shin Bet in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, the body of Natthapong Bentha was successfully returned to Israel,” Defense Minister Gallant said in a statement, adding that Israel remains committed to recovering all hostages—both the living and the deceased. 

The Prime Minister’s Office later confirmed the operation, asserting that Bentha was held and killed by the militant faction known as Al-Mujahideen Brigades. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the mission’s success but emphasized the broader objective. “Our duty is far from over,” his office stated. “We will not rest until all hostages are brought home.” 

The latest recovery follows an earlier announcement last Thursday in which Israeli forces retrieved the remains of two other hostages—Judy Weinstein-Haji and Gadi Haji—also abducted from Nir Oz during the October 7 attacks. 

Bentha was among the dozens of foreign nationals taken during Hamas’s large-scale incursion into southern Israel, which left over 1,200 people dead and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Thailand, whose citizens make up a significant portion of Israel’s agricultural workforce, was particularly affected, with at least 39 Thai nationals believed to have been kidnapped during the assault. 

The Israeli military has since launched sustained operations throughout the Gaza Strip, including its recent “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” a major offensive focused on the southern city of Rafah. The campaign aims to dismantle remaining Hamas strongholds and recover the estimated 120 hostages who are still unaccounted for. 

Tensions have emerged within the Israeli government over the fate of the remaining captives. Last month, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that 21 hostages are confirmed alive, contradicting Israel’s official hostage affairs coordinator, Gal Hirsch, who maintained the number stands at 24. 

According to official Israeli estimates, at least 35 hostages taken on October 7 are believed to have been killed while in captivity. 

Saturday’s announcement is likely to add to mounting public pressure on the Netanyahu government, which faces growing protests over its handling of hostage negotiations and ceasefire talks. Meanwhile, families of the captives continue to plead for a diplomatic breakthrough to bring their loved ones home. 

The Thai government has not yet issued a formal statement in response to the recovery of Bentha’s remains.