Israel searches Thai hostage bodies, reportedly 95 people killed in Gaza – Country
Israel said on Saturday it retrieved the bodies of Thai hostages in a Hamas-led attack, triggering a war as Israeli troops continued their offensive, killing at least 95 people in the past 24 hours.
Nattapong Pinta came to Israel to work in agriculture. The Israeli government said he was occupied from Kibbutz Nir Oz and was killed in the war starting on October 7, 2023.
Thailand's foreign ministry said the bodies of the other two citizens are yet to be retrieved. The Thais are the largest foreigners captured. Many people live in the suburbs of Kibzim and towns in southern Israel, the first occupation of the attack. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 46 Thais were killed during the war.
Israel's defense minister said Pingta's body was retrieved from the Rafa region in southern Gaza. The Army said he was caught by the Mujahideen Brigade, a small armed group, who also hijacked two Israeli-American hostages, Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies were retrieved Thursday.
Israel's army later said that on Saturday it killed Aby Sharaiya, the head of the Mujahideen Brigade in Gaza.
There are still fifty-five hostages in Gaza. Israel said more than half were dead. The families gathered again in Israel on Saturday night, calling for a ceasefire agreement to bring everyone home.
Hamas’ unusual warning to another hostage Matan Zangauker said Israel’s army surrounds the area he holds and that any harm caused to him in the rescue attempt is Israel’s responsibility. Israel's army did not immediately comment.
Zangauker's mother Einav told the rally in Tel Aviv.
Israel continues its military offensive
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A strike in Gaza City killed six families, including two children, according to SHIFA and Al-Ahli Hospital. Israel's army said the strike targeted leaders of the jihadist brigade.
“It’s real destruction,” a man said as he took the body of a little boy from the scene.
Four Israeli strikes attacked the Muwasi region in southern Gaza between Rafah and Khan Yunis. In northern Gaza, a strike attacked an apartment, killing seven people, including mother and five children. Their bodies were taken to Shifa Hospital.
“Stand up, my love,” said a crying woman, stroking the enveloping body.
Israel said it is responding to Hamas’ “barbaric attacks” and dismantling its capabilities. It said all possible precautions are needed to mitigate civilian injuries.
Some of the dead tried to obtain food aid
Staff at Nasser Hospital, who have received bodies of six people in the past 24 hours, said they were killed on their way to food aid. After widespread destruction of agriculture and the recent Israeli blockade, most of Gaza's population has relied on aid. Experts have warned of the famine.
Israeli troops warned that the aid allocation zone was an active combat zone at night. It said several suspects tried to approach the troops operating in the TV al-sultan area overnight, “asking a threat with threats.” The Army said the troops shouted out and then issued a warning as the suspect advanced.
An Army official who could not be named according to military procedures said the shooting was fired about one kilometer (and half a mile) from the assigned site.
In the past two weeks, shootings have frequently occurred near new hubs, with thousands of desperate Palestinians being directed to collect food. Witnesses said nearby Israeli troops opened fire and more than 80 people were killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's army said it fired warning shots, or in some cases it fired warnings to approaching people.
The hubs are run by the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new group mainly of U.S. contractors. Israel wants it to replace the United Nations and aid groups’ system of coordination.
A GHF spokesman said on condition of anonymity that it did not feed Gaza residents on Saturday and blamed Hamas for the threat. There was no immediate Hamas reaction.
Israel accused Hamas of providing assistance under a non-leadership system. The United Nations and aid groups deny significant aid to militants and say the new system they reject allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates humanitarian principles and will not be effective.
The UN said it could not allocate a large amount of aid under its system due to Israel’s military restrictions on movement and insecurity.
Additionally, Palestinians line up in a soup kitchen in Gaza city to give lecture notes on the second day of Eid.
“I've been standing here for an hour and a half. I feel like I have a stroke and I have people in need,” said Farida al-Sayed, who said she has six people to feed. “I only have lentils, I've used up.”
Deaths since the beginning of the war
In the October 7 attack, militants led by Hamas killed about 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and kidnapped 251 people. Most are published in a ceasefire agreement or other transactions. Israeli troops rescued eight live hostages and recovered dozens of bodies.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel's military campaign killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and the ministry did not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The offensive destroyed most of Hamas-operated Gaza region and displaced 90% of the approximately 20 million Palestinians.
– Documents with Associated Press'Mohammad Jahjouh, Bassem Mroue, Sally Abou Aljoud and Natalie Melzer
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
