5 Thai residents kept in captivity by Hamas For greater than a yr, they returned to Thailand on Sunday, reuniting with their tears households on the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
The returning, wearing winter jackets, had been greeted with emotional hugs by their households.
“We’re all deeply touched to return to our hometown … to remain right here,” stated Pongsak Taena, one of many returning individuals. “I do not know what else to say, we’re all actually grateful.”
In response to Israeli authorities, Hamas terrorists have kidnapped a minimum of 240 individuals, together with Israelis and overseas residents, in October 2023 assaults on the Israeli border.
Through the assault, Hamas artilists killed 41 Thai individuals and kidnapped 30 Thai employees. Later that yr, the primary group of Thai hostages was returned.
Thai Overseas Minister Maris Sangiampongs, who accompanied the hostages again from Israel, expressed aid on his return.
“It is emotional … to return to the embrace of their households,” he stated. “We by no means gave up and that was the fruit of it.”
Previous to the battle, roughly 30,000 Thai employees labored at Israel’s agriculture, making them one of many largest teams of migrants within the nation.
Almost 9,000 Thai individuals had been repatriated after the assault.
Staff come primarily from the Northeastern area of Thailand, an space together with villages and agricultural communities, that are among the many many of the most within the nation.
The Thailand Overseas Ministry stated it was nonetheless believed that the Thailand nationwide was detained by Hamas.
“We nonetheless have hope and we proceed to work to return them,” Maris stated, including that this contains the our bodies of two deceased Thai residents.
