The Israeli Army announced this Thursday, December 4, that it had identified the remains of the penultimate hostage held in Gaza, a Thai citizen.
“After completing the identification process, (…) representatives of the Israeli Army and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the family of Sudthisak Rinthalak that his body was repatriated for burial”, indicated the military institution on the Telegram messaging network.
Sudthisak Rinthalak, a Thai citizen, was killed on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken to the Gaza Strip, where he was being held by the Islamic Jihad organization, according to a statement from the Israeli Army.
The agricultural worker was 42 years old at the time of his death, the statement said.
A truce ended, last October, more than two years of war in the Gaza Strip, triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Under the terms of the truce agreement, the Palestinian Islamic movement released the last 20 hostages kidnapped that day and still alive.
Hamas and its allies have since returned 27 of the 28 bodies of hostages they pledged to return to Israel under the ceasefire. The last one left is that of an Israelite.
Israeli authorities indicated on Wednesday that the remains handed over to them were not those of one of the two hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.