The Farmworker's Tragic Fate in Gaza

A Thai farmworker's remains were brought back to Israel. Nattapong Pinta was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz. This happened during the October 7, 2023 attack that started the war. The prime minister's office shared this news on a Saturday. It was a special military operation that brought Pinta's body back. Pinta had come to Israel to work in agriculture. The Thai government confirmed that Pinta was the last Thai hostage in Gaza. They also said that two other Thai bodies are still missing. This news came out just two days after the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages were found. There are still 55 hostages in Gaza. Israel believes more than half of them are no longer alive. Pinta's body was found in the Rafah area in southern Gaza. The Mujahideen Brigades, a small armed group, took him. This group also took Shiri Bibas and her two young kids. They were killed. The same group took the two Israeli-American hostages whose bodies were found on Thursday. Thais were the biggest group of foreigners held by Hamas. Many of these workers lived in compounds on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns. Hamas took over these places first. So far, 46 Thais have died in the conflict, according to Thailand's foreign ministry. Israel's military actions continue in Gaza. Four strikes hit the Muwasi area in southern Gaza. In northern Gaza, one strike hit an apartment, killing seven people, including a mother and five children. Their bodies were taken to Shifa hospital. Another strike in Gaza City killed six members of a family, including two children. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed this. Israel says it is fighting back against Hamas' "barbaric attacks" and is trying to stop them. They claim they are taking steps to reduce harm to civilians. Reports say some of the dead were trying to get food aid. Much of Gaza's population now relies on aid after widespread destruction of agriculture and markets. There has also been a recent Israeli blockade of two and a half months. Experts have warned of famine in the territory. The army said that despite warnings, several suspects tried to approach troops. This happened in the Tel al-Sultan area overnight. The suspects were killed. An army official said the shots were fired about one kilometer from the aid distribution site. Shootings have happened frequently near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are going to collect food. These hubs are run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This is a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants the GHF to replace humanitarian groups in Gaza that distribute aid with the United Nations. Israel accuses Hamas of taking aid under the U. N. -led system. The U. N. and aid groups deny there is significant diversion of aid to militants. They say the new system allows Israel to use food as a weapon. They also say it violates humanitarian principles and won't be effective. It was unclear if the GHF sites opened on Saturday. Palestinians lined up at a soup kitchen in Gaza City for handouts on the second day of Eid al-Adha. "I have been standing here for more than an hour and a half. I feel I have a sunstroke, and I am in need, " said the waiting Farida al-Sayed, who said she had six people to feed. "I only had lentils, and I ran out of them. " Hamas-led militants killed some 1, 200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 2023 attack and abducted 251 hostages. Most were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54, 000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians.