Govt assures families of Thai hostages of constant efforts to free them
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assured the families of eight Thai nationals still being held by Hamas militants that the Thai government is continuing its efforts to get them released and bring them home.
Ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke said that Thai embassies in countries relevant to the issue are actively negotiating with the foreign ministries of those countries and relevant agencies in an attempt to get the remaining Thai hostages released.
She said Thailand backs international efforts for a ceasefire and immediate release of hostages. She noted that relevant countries including Israel, Egypt, and Qatar have been involved in negotiations.
She said that Thailand on December 12 voted along with 152 other United Nations member countries to support a proposed resolution by Egypt calling for an immediate ceasefire and unconditional release of hostages.
“Families of the [Thai] hostages should rest assured that Thai authorities are still working continuously to ensure their release,” said Kanchana, who also serves as director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Information.
Israel has attacked the Palestinian Gaza Strip with bombardments and ground troops after Hamas militants streamed across the border in a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing over 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.
The death toll in Gaza has reached 18,800, including 8,000 children and 6,200 women, according to media reports.
Earlier, 23 Thai hostages freed by the Hamas militant group returned to Thailand. They were mostly farmhands working in southern Israel and were taken to Gaza along with other hostages during the October 7 attack.
The Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, said it was informed by Israeli authorities that 19 out of the remaining 135 hostages still being held by the Hamas were dead, but there were no details regarding their nationalities, according to Kanchana. She said the Foreign Ministry was closely following the situation.
The latest death toll of Thai nationals in the Israel-Hamas conflict is 39. No death has been reported since November 11, Kanchana said. She added that three Thais are recovering at a hospital in Tel Aviv under the close attention of Thai Embassy staff.
She also said that Thai nationals in Israel who decided not to return to Thailand all live in safe places.
