For Immediate Release
IDF Recovers Body of Abducted Thai National Nattapong Pinta
Bangkok, June 7, 2025 – The Embassy of Israel in Thailand is deeply saddened to confirm that IDF forces, in a joint operation with the Israel Security Agency (ISA), recovered the body of Thai national Mr. Nattapong Pinta yesterday (Friday June 6, 2025) from the Rafah area in the Gaza Strip and brought him back to Israeli territory.
Mr. Nattapong, 35, was a husband and father who had been working in agriculture at Kibbutz Nir Oz for several years to support his family in Thailand. On October 7, 2023, he was abducted alive by terrorists from the Kataeb al-Mujahideen organization during the brutal attack on southern Israel. Tragically, it is now confirmed that he was murdered in captivity.
The recovery operation was led by the Gaza Division under the IDF Southern Command and coordinated with the Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters. It was based on intelligence gathered over time by the ISA, including information obtained through the interrogation of a captured terrorist operative and additional intelligence provided by the IDF Intelligence Directorate.
Extensive searches were carried out based on this intelligence, leading to the successful recovery of Mr. Nattapong's body. Following identification procedures conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in cooperation with the Israel Police, official notification was delivered to his family, the Thai government (via Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Nir Oz community.
Due to insufficient information during his captivity, authorities could not confirm whether Mr. Nattapong was alive. Current assessments suggest he was murdered during the early months of his abduction. While pathological findings may offer further insights, no additional details can be confirmed at this stage.
The terrorist organization Kataeb al-Mujahideen, responsible for Mr. Nattapong’s abduction and murder, has also been implicated in the kidnapping, holding, and murder of other civilians, including Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, and the holding of the bodies of Gad Haggai and Judy Weinstein, all recently recovered. The group is believed to still be holding the body of another foreign civilian. The IDF and ISA remain committed to continuing all efforts to recover him and all remaining hostages.
The Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters, in collaboration with the IDF Intelligence Directorate, continues systematic operations to locate all hostages—both living and deceased—through data analysis, human intelligence and advanced surveillance technologies.
Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Ms. Orna Sagiv, stated: "The State of Israel and the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok bow their heads and share in the grief of Khun Nattapong's family and the people of Thailand. Israel is making every possible effort to bring all the hostages home—both foreign nationals and Israelis alike."
