Thailand PM says 12 Thai hostages released by Hamas
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin speaks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in San Francisco on Nov 15, 2023. (File photo: Reuters/Carlos Barria)
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BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said 12 Thai hostages kidnapped by Palestinian militants during Hamas' Oct 7 raids into Israel were released on Friday (Nov 24), hours after a truce in the Israel-Hamas war began.
"It has been confirmed by the security side and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that 12 Thai hostages are already released," he posted on X.
"Embassy officials are on their way to pick them up in another hour. Their names and details should be known. Please stay tuned."
The hostages were released in a separate agreement mediated by Qatar and Egypt with Hamas, an official briefed on the talks said, adding that the hostages were not covered by the truce deal with Israel that relates to women and children.
The separate negotiation track was opened when Thailand's foreign minister visited Qatar on Oct 31, which led to a specific agreement with Hamas to release the Thais, the official added.
In a statement issued on Friday, Thailand's foreign affairs ministry said it had been notified by its embassy in Tel Aviv that the 12 Thai nationals had entered Israel via the Rafa Border Crossing and would be taken to Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh).
The gender and names of the Thais are currently not known, it added.
The 12 Thais would be under medical supervision for a period of 48 hours without access to outsiders, said the statement.
The Thai foreign affairs ministry added that it would do what it could to expedite their return to Thailand.
"It is our deep hope that all remaining hostages will be taken care of, and will be safely released at the earliest opportunity."
A total of 25 Thai nationals were among the estimated 240 people taken hostage by gunmen during last month's wave of cross-border raids into Israel.
In the worst attack in Israel's history, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel has retaliated with a massive campaign of air, artillery and naval strikes alongside a ground offensive into Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.
The Hamas government says the war has killed around 15,000 people, thousands of them children.
On Friday, a truce began following weeks of negotiations brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
Under the agreement, a four-day pause in the fighting should see at least 50 hostages released from Gaza in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Shortly after the Thai prime minister posted on X, a source close to Hamas confirmed to AFP that some Thai hostages had been freed, in addition to hostages released under the deal with Israel.
"Hamas made a gesture to also release some Thai foreigners," the source close to the Islamist movement said.
Last week, a member of Thailand's hostage release negotiation team said his government had been given assurances by Hamas that the kingdom's nationals held hostage by the armed group were "safe".
About 30,000 Thais were working in Israel, mostly in the agriculture sector, at the time of the Oct 7 attacks, according to the kingdom's labour ministry.
Thirty-nine citizens have been killed and 19 wounded in the war, with the kingdom evacuating more than 8,500 of its people, according to the Thai foreign ministry.
