October 7 · Personal story
Nattaphon Onkaew
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Agricultural work in southern Israel near Gaza
Current outcome
Released alive · November 25, 2023
Released from captivity on November 25, 2023; arrived back in Thailand with the returning group on November 30.
01
Work that supported home
At 26, Nattaphon had been doing agricultural work in Israel since October 2021. His mother placed their home in Ban Nong Saeng, Pla Pak district, Nakhon Phanom, and said he usually called after work to ask how everyone was. She described a son whose wages helped support the household and his younger sister’s schooling.
02
The last call
His mother said they spoke at 9 p.m. on Friday, October 6, about ordinary family news. After the October 7 attack, the calls stopped. When a photograph of captured workers circulated, she identified Nattaphon among them and tried to reach him through every channel she had.
03
Waiting for news
Nattaphon remained separated from his family through the weeks of captivity. His mother kept waiting for news from Israel; when the release message finally came, it reached her through a granddaughter’s early-morning call and a photograph.
04
A return to family
Nattaphon was released on November 25. His mother first heard at about 5 a.m. the next day that he was among those freed; she said she did not believe it until she saw the picture. He returned to Thailand with the first group on November 30. At homecoming, he described the feeling as dying and being reborn.
05
Home again
Speaking after his return to Thailand, Nattaphon described his release as feeling like he had died and been reborn. His mother had waited for the son who regularly called after work and helped pay his younger sister’s school fees. When she saw his release photograph, she told Reuters that she could not describe how happy she felt.