Body of Thai Hostage Recovered from Gaza, IDF Eliminates Head of Mujahideen Movement

Latest Developments

Body of Thai Hostage Returned: The IDF recovered the body of murdered Thai hostage Nattapong Pinta, who was kidnapped by the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement terrorists during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 atrocities, during an IDF and Shin Bet operation near Rafah on June 7. Pinta had worked in agriculture in the southern Israeli community of Nir Oz when the onslaught began and was kidnapped alive from the kibbutz, likely dying in captivity during the early months of the war. The intelligence that led to the recovery of Pinta’s body was reportedly obtained through the interrogation of captured terrorists.
Israel Eliminates Key Terrorist in Gaza City: On the same day, the IDF announced it had eliminated the head of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, Assad Abu Sharia, in Gaza City. Abu Sharia was directly involved in the kidnapping and murder of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, the kidnapping of Israeli Americans Judi Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai, and the kidnapping and murder of Pinta. The IDF stated that Abu Sharia was one of the leaders in the deadly Nir Oz massacre on October 7 and had also recruited terrorists for the Mujahideen Movement in the West Bank and Israel.
IDF Believes it Found the Body of Eliminated Hamas Leader: Following confirmation by the IDF that it had eliminated Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in a May 13 airstrike, Israeli troops reportedly discovered Sinwar’s body at the site of the strike. The body was allegedly located in a tunnel complex beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, next to 10 other terrorists eliminated alongside Sinwar.

FDD Expert Response

“The full extent of the October 7 massacre is still being revealed, particularly the role played by smaller terrorist factions operating in Hamas’s sphere of influence. Among them, the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, led by the now-eliminated Assad Abu Sharia, has emerged as a significant yet previously underappreciated malign actor. While the group gained infamy for kidnapping members of the Bibas family on October 7, Israeli statements have demonstrated that the group played a much broader role in the mass hostage-taking and murders that day. This revelation underscores a critical operational reality: October 7 was not merely a Hamas operation but a coordinated assault in which multiple terrorist factions, including the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, executed a murderous rampage and kidnapping on a mass scale.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Thai citizens play a crucial role in the agricultural business that many southern kibbutzim depend on, and consequently, many were working on the morning of the October 7 attacks. The return of Pinta — along with Judi Weinstein and Gad Haggai earlier this week — underscores Israel’s commitment to its promise to bring home all of the hostages, both living and deceased, and reinforces that the IDF still has objectives to accomplish in Gaza.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor