<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Remains that militants in Gaza handed to Israel were those of Thai agricultural worker Sudthisak Rinthalak, Israeli and Thai officials said Thursday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The confirmation brought the first phase of Gaza’s tenuous eight-week-old ceasefire a step closer to completion, with one more hostage’s remains still to be returned.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The subsequent phases under a US-drafted, UN-backed plan for Gaza remain deeply uncertain.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/social-security-payments-increasing-indexation/ce15dab9-fa66-4ea6-aea7-cb5a637468ba" rel="" target="" title="Cash boost for million-plus Aussies in just weeks"><strong><span>Cash boost for million-plus Aussies in just weeks</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There has been no word on how provisions for Hamas’ disarmament will be carried out, or how a planned international administration and security force will be established.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the truce since it began October 10.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israeli airstrikes and shootings during the ceasefire have killed some 366 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/a-single-hostage-remains-in-gaza-after-identification-of-thai-workers-remains/a5d3ad8a-02b2-4319-ae8e-4f185a287641" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel says Hamas has carried out attacks on its soldiers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Around half the devastated Gaza Strip remains under Israeli military control, with most of the population of some two million displaced from their homes and dependent on international aid.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a sign for the potential for turmoil, the leader of an Israeli-backed Palestinian militia, Yasser Abu Shabab, was shot to death during a dispute with another family in southern Gaza, his militia said Thursday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The killing could be a setback for Israeli efforts to prop up its own alternative to Hamas in Gaza.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Popular Forces is one of several armed Palestinian groups supported by Israel and operating in Israeli-controlled zones.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The groups tout themselves as anti-Hamas nationalist forces but have been denounced by many Palestinians, including Abu Shabab’s family, as tools of the Israeli military.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Returning hostages’ remains</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sudthisak, whose remains were handed over by militants on Wednesday, had been employed at Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Thais make up a large part of Israel’s agricultural workforce.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They were the largest group of foreigners to be taken captive by militants in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 42-year-old Sudthisak was killed when the militants stormed into Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest-hit communities in the attack, and his body taken by the militant group Islamic Jihad, according to the Israeli military.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/paris-top-world-city-euromonitor-international-survey/cdb5fe81-bc17-45f5-b2da-acf7f546a1da"><strong><span>Paris outshines the world in top 100 city rankings</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the attack, militants killed around 1200 people and took more than 250 others hostage, triggering Israel’s campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 70,100 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said Sudthisak’s family has been notified and thanked the Israeli government for assistance that led to the release of all 31 Thai hostages.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Of those, 28 were returned alive and three dead.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In addition to the hostages, 46 Thais have been killed in the war, according to the ministry,</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israeli Ran Gvili is now the last hostage whose remains have yet to be returned.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Gvili was an Israeli police officer who was killed at Kibbutz Alumim as he fought to protect residents and save Israelis fleeing gunmen at the nearby Nova music festival.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since ceasefire began, 20 living hostages and the remains of 27 others have been returned to Israel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In exchange, Israel has released the bodies of hundreds Palestinians to Gaza. Most remain unidentified.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Militia leader killed</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Details of the killing of Abu Shabab were not immediately known.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Popular Forces said he suffered a gunshot wound while mediating a dispute among members of the Abu Suneima clan, which is based in the far south of Gaza.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a Facebook post, the group underlined that he was not killed in clashes with Hamas.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At least two members of the Abu Suneima clan – a pair of brothers -- were also killed in the dispute, according to a statement by the clan’s head, Attiya Awda Abu Suneima.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He praised the clan members who killed Abu Shabab for “unwavering courage and resolve in the face of injustice and treachery” – but provided no details on what happened.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/russia-ukraine-war-vladimir-putin-says-he-takes-donetsk-or-fighting-will-continue/2290ccaf-c271-4048-b399-48699c3d9aa4"><strong><span>Retreat or even more bloodshed: Putin's chilling message</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He warned that remaining member of Abu Shabab’s group, “which has strayed from the values ​​of our people, will face a severe reckoning.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There was no immediate Israeli comment on Abu Shabab’s death.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Abu Shabab was the most prominent of the Palestinian militia leaders that Israel has said it is backing to oppose Hamas.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Before the war, he had been involved in smuggling cigarettes and drugs from Egypt, according to two members of his extended family, one of whom was once part of his group.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>During the war, his militia became notorious for robbing UN aid trucks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It also deployed near Israeli troop positions in military-controlled territory, particularly along routes that Palestinians took to reach food distribution sites.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In its announcement of Abu Shabab’s death, the Popular Forces vowed to “continue on the path until terrorism is eliminated from Gaza’s soil.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Other Palestinians celebrated his death.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Higher Council for Tribal Affairs, a body representing Gaza’s powerful clans, said his end was “expected for someone who chose to abandon his people … and sided with the enemy.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel’s long-term intentions for Abu Shabab’s group and other militias have never been clear.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the fighters’ role could grow if the ceasefire plan stalls and Israel keeps its hold on territory in Gaza. Under the UN-backed plan, an international security force is to deploy in Gaza to keep security and ensure Hamas disarmament while an international administration headed by US President Donald Trump governs the territory.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But no firm plans have been announced on implementing any of the provisions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Israel strikes southern Lebanon</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Separately, Israel carried out a string of airstrikes on Thursday in several villages of southern Lebanon, targeting what the military said were weapons storehouses of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There was no report of casualties from the strikes, which came after the military issued warnings to residents to evacuate areas around the targets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel accuses Hezbollah of continuing to hold onto its weapons and rebuilding its arsenal in violation of a year-old ceasefire.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hezbollah has refused to give up its weapons as long as Israel continues to occupy several hills along the border and carries out almost daily strikes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/eurovision-countries-boycott-song-contest-over-israel-participation/028c67e9-dffa-44eb-b070-8d2e2f58defc"><strong><span>Drama as multiple countries exit from Eurovision in major showdown</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Strike kills a family in Gaza</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In southern Gaza, an Israeli airstrike on a tent encampment housing displaced Palestinians late Wednesday killed five people from a single family, including two children, according to the Kuwait Specialty Hospital, where the bodies were taken.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It said another 32 people were wounded.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel said it launched an airstrike targeting a Hamas militant in retaliation for an attack earlier in the day that wounded five Israeli soldiers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The military said militants emerged from a tunnel and attacked Israeli troops in the Israeli-controlled part of southern Gaza.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Relatives of the dead Palestinians wept over their loved ones’ being transported in white body bags through the city of Khan Younis on Thursday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Aisha Abu Jazar, a woman living near the five family members who were killed, said she was shocked to hear “unusually intense fire” by Israelis overnight.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“They fired a missile at a tent made of cloth, plastic, and wood. The children were asleep.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>What did the children do to deserve being torn apart in their sleep? What did they do to deserve this?” she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“We were supposed to be in a ceasefire,” she added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/Z8tJCf"><strong><span>Sign up here</span></strong></a><strong><span> to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.</span></strong></div></div>