On December 3, 2025, a poignant chapter in the long and painful saga of the Gaza hostage crisis drew closer to its end. Israel confirmed that the body transferred to its authorities by the Red Cross was that of Suthisak Rintalak, a 43-year-old Thai agricultural worker who had been held hostage in Gaza for 789 days. The return of his remains, following a protracted period of uncertainty and sorrow, leaves only one more deceased hostage—Israeli police officer Master Sgt Ran Gvili—yet to be returned from Gaza under the terms of the ongoing ceasefire deal.
The identification of Suthisak Rintalak’s body, according to BBC, was a somber moment for both Israel and Thailand. Rintalak had moved from the town of Rattanawapi in north-eastern Thailand to Israel in 2017, seeking better opportunities through the country’s foreign worker program. He found work on farms near the Gaza border, a region that would become the epicenter of tragedy on October 7, 2023. On that day, Hamas and its ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) launched a sweeping attack on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, among them 39 Thai nationals, and the abduction of 251 hostages—including Rintalak, who was working in the orchards of Kibbutz Be’eri.
For over two years, Rintalak’s family endured agonizing uncertainty. His mother, On, told Israeli Army Radio, “It was hard for us to digest the news.” She added, “Two years have passed. We felt great sadness when we knew he was no longer among the living.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog echoed the pain felt by Rintalak’s family and the broader Thai community, writing on X, “For 789 painful days, Suthisak was held hostage in Gaza. His family back in Thailand have waited in agony for his return. Now, Suthisak can finally be laid to rest with dignity.”
The return of Rintalak’s remains was facilitated by the Red Cross, following a search operation in northern Gaza conducted by the Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, along with Red Cross teams. Hamas and Islamic Jihad handed over the body late Wednesday afternoon, though they initially did not specify which of the last two deceased hostages it was. Israeli authorities later confirmed the identification.
This transfer marks the fulfillment of a key provision in the initial phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, which came into effect on October 10, 2025. Under this agreement, Hamas pledged to return all living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 28 deceased Israeli and foreign captives within 72 hours. As Reuters reports, all 20 living hostages were released by October 13, 2025, in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. In total, the remains of 23 dead Israeli hostages and four foreign hostages—two Thai, one Nepalese, and one Tanzanian—have been returned so far. In exchange, Israel has handed over the bodies of 345 Palestinians killed during the war.
The ceasefire, however, has been anything but stable. Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violations, and violence has continued to simmer. On the same day Rintalak’s remains were returned, an Israeli airstrike in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza killed five Palestinians, including two children, according to medics at Khan Younis’ Al-Kuwaiti Hospital. Israel’s military claimed the strike targeted a “Hamas terrorist” in retaliation for an earlier attack by Hamas fighters in Rafah that wounded five Israeli soldiers. Hamas condemned the strike as a “clear war crime” and accused Israel of disregarding the ceasefire agreement. Since the truce began, more than 350 Palestinians have been killed, and Palestinian militants have killed three Israeli soldiers, according to Gaza health authorities and Israeli officials, respectively.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. The enclave’s only direct exit to the outside world, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, has been mostly closed since the conflict escalated. According to Reuters, Israel announced on December 3, 2025, that the crossing would be opened in both directions once all hostages are returned. Shosh Bedrosian, an Israeli government spokesperson, told reporters, “The crossing will be opened both ways when all of our hostages have been returned.” The reopening, coordinated with Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S., is set to occur under the supervision of a European Union mission—reminiscent of arrangements from a previous ceasefire in January 2025.
For many Palestinians in Gaza, the reopening of Rafah could be a lifeline. The United Nations estimates that at least 16,500 patients in Gaza require medical care outside the enclave, and while some have managed to leave for treatment abroad through Israel, most remain trapped by the blockade. The crossing’s reopening is not just a symbolic gesture; it could allow thousands in need to seek urgent medical assistance and reconnect with family outside the besieged territory.
The wider context of the hostage crisis and the ongoing conflict cannot be ignored. The October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and PIJ was a watershed moment, triggering a devastating Israeli military campaign in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 70,100 people have been killed since the fighting began. The ceasefire, brokered with the involvement of the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, was intended to halt the bloodshed and pave the way for a broader peace plan.
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House, outlined the next phase of his Gaza peace initiative, which includes plans for post-war governance, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the disarmament of Hamas, and the reconstruction of Gaza. “They had a problem today, I understand, with a bomb that went off,” Trump said, referencing the day’s violence. “Hurt some people pretty badly… But it’s going very well. We have peace in the Middle East. People don’t realise it.”
Yet, for the families of those still missing or deceased, peace remains elusive. Israel’s government has pledged to continue working “tirelessly” to bring home the body of Master Sgt Ran Gvili, the last remaining deceased hostage in Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel, along with families and supporters, continue to hold rallies and vigils, demanding the immediate return of all hostages and their remains.
Thailand’s foreign ministry expressed gratitude to the Israeli government for its assistance in securing the return of all 31 Thai nationals who were among the hostages taken during the October 7 attack. Their ordeal, and the ongoing pain of their families, has resonated deeply in both countries, highlighting the far-reaching human cost of the conflict.
As the world watches for the next steps—whether the Rafah crossing will indeed open, whether the ceasefire will hold, and whether the last hostages will be returned—the story of Suthisak Rintalak stands as a stark reminder of the personal tragedies woven into the fabric of the Gaza war. His return to his family, though marked by sorrow, brings a measure of closure that has been denied to too many for far too long.