A farewell ceremony was held Tuesday at Ben Gurion Airport for Natthapong Pinta, the Thai agricultural worker who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, and later murdered while in Hamas captivity in Gaza. His coffin was flown back to Thailand following the ceremony, which was attended by Israel\u2019s Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons, Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, who delivered remarks on behalf of the State of Israel.<\/p>\n
We Will Always Act This Way<\/strong> \u201cThe IDF and Shin Bet, together with all state authorities, did everything in their power to bring him back. I apologized that we couldn\u2019t return him home alive,\u201d Hirsch said. He emphasized that Israeli authorities have supported the family since the outbreak of the war, and \u201cwe will always act this way.\u201d<\/p>\n In closing, Hirsch reaffirmed Israel\u2019s continued efforts to bring back all hostages\u2014both the living and the dead: \u201cEven at this very hour, we are working tirelessly to bring home all of our hostages\u2014whether living or fallen.\u201d<\/p>\n Natthapong Pinta\u2019s Body Recovered During Special Operation<\/strong> Closure After 20 Months<\/strong> Progress Toward Hostage Deal<\/strong> Hostage Families Demand Action<\/strong> The Hostage Families Forum responded with cautious frustration: \u201cAt this moment, while the Prime Minister is once again updating the media about ‘significant progress’ in negotiations, we remind him: there\u2019s no need to reinvent the wheel. A comprehensive agreement is already on the table. He could sign it tomorrow morning\u2014if he chooses to.\u201d<\/p>\n They continued: \u201cThe overwhelming majority of Israelis want a deal to bring everyone home\u201455 hostages, men and women alike\u2014even at the cost of a ceasefire. No categories, no cruel divisions, no discrimination between lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe families are exhausted from spin and deception. They are yearning for good news and hoping the Prime Minister will find the courage to choose the only course that can secure an Israeli victory and a path to national healing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Israel bids goodbye to Thai hostage murdered in Hamas captivity; coffin returned to Thailand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":26419,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[88,65],"tags":[2896,2177,1514],"class_list":["post-26418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-will-remember","category-world","tag-hamas-hostages","tag-kibbutz-nir-oz","tag-october-7"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nHirsch said he had spoken with Pinta\u2019s widow, extended condolences to his family, the people of Thailand, and the Nir Oz community, and shared the pain of Israel\u2019s failure to bring him home alive.<\/p>\n
\nPinta\u2019s remains were returned to Israel during a complex IDF and Shin Bet operation deep inside the Gaza Strip. Like the mission that recovered the bodies of Gadi and Judy Weinstein, intelligence for the operation was obtained during the interrogation of a Hamas militant, who revealed the burial site. Forensics confirmed the identity of the remains, which were then repatriated.<\/p>\n
\nNatthapong Pinta, born in 1988, was married and the father of a young child. He worked in agriculture at Kibbutz Nir Oz and was abducted alive during the October 7 terrorist attack. The rescue mission that located and recovered his body was described by officials as precise and complex, made possible by close cooperation among the IDF, Shin Bet, and additional intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n
\nEarlier Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video message on social media addressing ongoing hostage negotiations: \u201cThere\u2019s been significant progress. I think it\u2019s too early to give hope, but we\u2019re working around the clock\u2014all the time. I hope we can move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHostages Square in Tel Aviv | Photo: Tomer Neuberg\/Flash90<\/p>\n