Israel has confirmed the identity of the hostage received from Hamas as Sudthisak Rinthalak, a Thai agricultural worker. Rinthalak was killed during Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, at Kibbutz Be’eri. The body of Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, the last hostage to be returned, remains in Gaza.
The transfer of all hostages’ bodies in Gaza is a crucial condition of President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war. Rinthalak’s body was handed over by the Red Cross to the Israeli military for forensic identification.
Since the ceasefire agreement in October, Hamas has returned all 20 living hostages and 27 bodies in exchange for Palestinian detainees and prisoners. Despite reduced violence after the ceasefire, Israel has continued to strike Gaza, leading to casualties and demolitions. Medics reported five Palestinian fatalities, including two children, in a recent missile attack by Israel in Khan Younis.
The Israeli strike targeted a Hamas terrorist in response to an earlier attack on Israeli troops in Rafah. Hamas criticized Israel for violating the ceasefire agreement. Additionally, the leader of an Israeli-backed Palestinian militia, Yasser Abu Shabab, was killed in Gaza, potentially affecting Israel’s efforts to counter Hamas in the region.
Over 350 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, while three Israeli soldiers were reportedly killed by Palestinian militants during the same period.