Senior Thai officials seek to secure last hostage, recover bodies of two others
Thai Officials Visit Jerusalem After Release of Hostages from Hamas
A group of important Thai leaders visited Jerusalem's Western Wall to express their gratitude and hope after five Thai hostages were freed from Hamas captivity. The delegation included Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, Deputy Foreign Minister Russ Jalichandra, and Royal Thai Army Chief of Staff Gen. Songwit Noonpackdee. They are in Israel to work on freeing one more Thai hostage and retrieving the bodies of two others still in Gaza.
The five freed hostages, who were agricultural workers, are Thenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Sriaoun Watchara, Seathao Bannawat, and Rumnao Surasak. They were released after being held for 482 days and are now recovering at Shamir Medical Center in Petah Tikva. Dr. Osnat Levzion-Korach, the hospital director, mentioned that although they were kept underground without sunlight, they are in stable condition due to their young age.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Sangiampongsa met with Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel to discuss the future of the released hostages. Arbel assured that the five Thais would receive permanent residency in Israel. However, Thai national Pinta Nattapong, who worked at Kibbutz Nir Oz, is still held by Hamas. In May 2024, it was confirmed that two other Thais, Sudthisak Rinthalak and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, were killed at Kibbutz Be'eri, and their bodies were taken to Gaza.
During the October 7 attacks, Hamas killed 44 Thai nationals and took 31 hostage. Twenty-three were freed during a temporary ceasefire in November 2023. Many Thai workers returned home after the attacks, but around 38,000 remain in Israel, working in agriculture and construction. Israeli officials aim to increase this number to 133,000 by 2025.
The ceasefire's first phase plans to release 33 Israeli hostages over six weeks in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The fate of the remaining 65 hostages will be decided in future negotiations. Critics argue that this phased approach leaves some hostages in indefinite captivity and weakens Israel's position. The October 7 attacks resulted in 1,200 deaths and 252 hostages taken by Hamas.
Doubts Revealed
Thai Officials
Thai officials are people who work for the government of Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia. They are responsible for representing their country and making important decisions.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Middle East that is important to many religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is located in Israel.
Hostages
Hostages are people who are captured and held by someone, usually to force others to do something in exchange for their release.
Hamas
Hamas is a group that controls the Gaza Strip, a small area near Israel. They are involved in conflicts with Israel and are considered a terrorist organization by some countries.
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is an agreement to stop fighting for a certain period of time. It is often used to allow for negotiations or humanitarian efforts.
Palestinian prisoners
Palestinian prisoners are people from Palestine who are held in Israeli jails, often due to conflicts between Israel and Palestine.
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