On Wednesday, Israeli officials confirmed that the remains returned were those of Sudthisak Rinthalak, leaving Israeli police officer Ran Gvili as the last remaining hostage in Gaza.

Rinthalak, hailing from Thailand, had been working in Israel to provide for his family back home when he tragically lost his life during the attacks on October 7, 2023. The Israel Defense Forces reported that his body was taken from the orchards at Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the areas most severely affected by the violence. Afterward, his remains were taken into Gaza and held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the second-largest militant group in the region.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement indicating that Rinthalak’s remains will be returned to Thailand for burial, coordinated with the Thai Embassy in Israel.

“The government of Israel stands with the Rinthalak family, the Thai people, and all families of fallen hostages in their profound grief,” the statement expressed. “The Rinthalak family, along with Thai Ambassador to Israel Boonyarit Vichienpuntu, extend their heartfelt gratitude to the State of Israel for its efforts in returning Sudthisak and for the ongoing support provided to the family since the conflict began.”

At a rally demanding the return of all hostages held in Gaza, attendees held paper cutouts of deceased hostages Ran Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak, underscoring the urgency more than two years after the deadly events of October 7, 2023. (Nir Elias/Reuters)

The office added that it and Israel’s Directorate for the Hostages and the Missing “are determined, committed, and working tirelessly to return National Counter-Terrorism Unit fighter and hero Master Sgt. Ran Gvili for a proper Jewish burial.”

Rinthalak was raised in Rattanawapi in Nong Khai province, and his family said that his favorite food was an omelet with tomatoes, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Rinthalak is survived by his brother and his parents.

Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, where he was working at the time. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

Prior to his remains being returned to Israel, Rinthalak’s family told Israeli news outlet Ynet that he said he would be coming home for good once he saved a bit more money.

“About 10 days before October 7 was the last time we spoke,” Rinthalak’s mother, On, told Ynet. “We asked him to come home to Thailand for a visit. We hadn’t seen him in many years, ever since he went to Israel for work. He told us he wanted to save a bit more money and then come home for good. Then October 7 happened and he was murdered. I want my son home as soon as possible. I wait for him every day.”

Ran Gvili stands in his police uniform. He was hailed a hero for his actions in staving off terrorists and saving many during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in southern Israel. (Gvili family)

Gvili, who is the last hostage in Gaza, was killed in the Oct. 7 attacks and his body was taken into the Gaza Strip, where it has been held since the 2023 massacre.

“When this nightmare began, there were 255 hostages. Their families became one big family. We held each other through every unbearable moment. Every time someone returned, there was a feeling that part of us came back. And now we’re down to the last two in the darkness of Gaza. I’m terrified that after bringing so many home, my Ran will be left behind. There’s this crushing feeling I can’t shake: when is our turn?” Gvili’s mother, Talik, wrote in a Fox News op-ed.