Hamas Returns Body of Thai National, One Hostage Remains Unaccounted For

Israel confirmed on Thursday that Hamas has returned the body of Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak, leaving the remains of one hostage unaccounted for in Gaza.

Rinthalak worked in a farming community close to the border when he was killed by Palestinian militants during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7th, 2023, and taken to Gaza.

A spokesperson for thailand’s foreign ministry thanked the Israeli government for the assistance that led to the return of all 31 Thai nationals who were among the 251 people taken hostage during the October 7th attack. Another 39 Thai nationals were among the 1,200 people killed that day.

Israeli police officer Ran Gvili is the last deceased hostage in captivity in Gaza, where more than 70,000 people have been killed since the start of the war.

Israel has said the return of all hostages is a key condition of the Gaza ceasefire moving to its second phase.

They were supposed to be returned by Hamas within 72 hours of the signing of the ceasefire agreement on October 10th.

Militant groups in Gaza claimed it was difficult to locate all of the hostage’s bodies as some were buried under rubble.

Violence has tailed off since the ceasefire but Israel has continued to strike Gaza and conduct demolitions against what it says is Hamas infrastructure. Hamas and Israel have traded blame for violating the agreement.

Medics at Al-Kuwaiti hospital in Khan Younis said they recovered the bodies of five Palestinians, including two children, after an Israeli missile attack on Wednesday evening at an encampment in western Khan Younis.

The Israeli military said its strike targeted a “Hamas terrorist”, without providing further details. It said the attack came in response to an assault on its troops in Rafah earlier on Wednesday that wounded five soldiers. The Israeli military said Hamas militants emerged from tunnels in Rafah, in an area that remains under Israeli military control.

Health officials at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza said earlier on Wednesday that two palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire in the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City. The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident.

Publication Date: 2025/12/05 04:40:08