Thais killed, injured, kidnapped, taken hostage in Hamas attack on Israel

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Thai death toll in Israel rises to 39

Five more bodies identified by Israeli authorities, four injured workers still in hospital

by Penchan Charoensuthipan and Poramet Tangsathaporn

November 11, 2023

Five more Thais working in Israel have been confirmed dead, raising the total number of fatalities to 39, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Citing the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv, the ministry said on Saturday that Israeli authorities had completed the identification of the victims and verified that five of them are Thai nationals.

As of Nov 10, the number of Thai workers killed stood at 39 with 19 others injured and 25 taken hostage. Of the injured, four are still in hospital.

Pannabha Chandraramya, the ambassador to Israel, and Sakdinart Sonthisakdiyothin, an inspector with the Social Security Office, visited three of the injured on Friday.

The workers, who are at Sheba Tel-HaShomer Medical Center and Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), are making a good recovery, the foreign ministry said, adding that officials are making plans to visit the other injured person.

In a related development, more than 6,000 Thai workers have submitted requests for compensation from the the fund for overseas workers, said Pairote Chotikasathien, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labour.

About 3,000 of the applicants have been paid and the rest are expected to receive the compensation, at 15,000 baht each, within one week, he said, adding that some workers faced payment delays due to paperwork problems.

He said the returnees would also receive additional compensation of 50,000 baht each, as proposed by the prime minister. Families of those who were killed and workers who returned with re-entry before the violence broke out will also be paid.

The financial relief is expected to be tabled for cabinet approval on Monday, he said.

Provincial labour offices are also gathering documents from workers who paid their own way back to Thailand. About 2,400 requests have been submitted, with 1,100 seeking refunds for air tickets and the rest for airport transfers in Israel, he said.

According to Thai officials, there were about 30,000 Thai workers in Israel before the Oct 7 raids by Hamas. Some 8,000 have since been repatriated and over 20,000 Thai workers have chosen to stay despite the worsening conflict.

Efforts to secure the release of those held captive are still ongoing. Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said last week that the Thais held hostage are expected to be among the first of some 250 hostages to be freed as they were being held in relatively safe areas.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ises-to-39

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I have placed this topic back under "Announcements" because now we are getting information that Hamas has released a "number of Thai hostages".

At the time of this post we do not know who was released or how many - or even released to where. As more information becomes available it will be posted.

[traveller123]

According to the BBC 10 Thai hostages were released

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67523397

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10 Thai hostages have been released. 20 others till being held hostage.

The 10 released are currently being treated and observed in an Israeli hospital. No word yet about when and how they will return to Thailand.
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10 Thai nationals, 1 Filipino released from Gaza, officials say

Hamas, the group that runs Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, also released 13 Israelis

By Rebecca Tan and Bryan Pietsch

November 24, 2023

Hamas on Friday released 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino who were being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, according to Thai and Philippine officials.

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had earlier said that 12 Thai nationals were released. Israel confirmed on Friday that 11 “foreign nationals” were released.

Thai consular officials attended to the freed hostages, who were transferred to the Shamir Medical Center, south of Tel Aviv, after first being taken to a processing point at Hatzerim air base in southern Israel. The Thai and Philippine embassies in Tel Aviv did not respond to requests for comment.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed Friday night that Filipino national Gelienor “Jimmy” Pacheco was among the hostages released by Hamas.

“He is now safely in the custody of officials in our Israel Embassy,” Marcos wrote on social media. “I salute the work of the Philippine Foreign Service in securing his release, and once again thank the State of Qatar for their invaluable assistance in making Jimmy’s release possible.”

The hostages were released during a long-awaited four-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas that took effect Friday. Hamas has said it would release 50 Israeli hostages in the course of the pause; on Friday, the militant group released 13.

In return, Israel is set to release 150 Palestinian women and teenagers who have been held in its prisons. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, said 39 Palestinians had been released from Israeli prisons, in line with the agreement that three Palestinian prisoners would be released for each Israeli hostage freed. The International Committee of the Red Cross, however, said it facilitated the release of 33 prisoners from an Israeli prison to Ramallah, West Bank.

The release of the Thai and Filipino hostages occurred separately from the release of the Israeli hostages.

Thailand is the single biggest source of migrant farm labor in Israel. During the attack by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, nearly 40 Thai agricultural workers were killed, according to Thai officials. The Thai Foreign Ministry said that 26 nationals were taken hostage — the largest number by nationality after Israelis.

In recent weeks, top officials, including Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara and Thai Muslim leaders have lobbied partners in the Middle East to help obtain the release of the Thai hostages. Lepong Syed, the president of the Thai-Iran Alumni Association, told reporters last week that all Thai hostages would be released once the pause in fighting in Gaza took effect.

Before the attack by Hamas, about 30,000 Thai nationals were working in Israel, according to the Thai Labor Ministry. Thavisin has urged the expatriates to return home, but thousands are still thought to remain in Israel.

Philippine nationals, many of whom work as caregivers in Israel, also have been caught up in the conflict. At least two were killed by Hamas, according to Philippine officials, and possibly one or two are missing.

In his post on Pacheco’s release, Marcos noted that Filipino national Noralyn Babadilla is among the missing. He said the Philippine government is “sparing no effort to locate and secure her if she is indeed found to be one of the hostages.”

This week, the Philippine Foreign Ministry said 17 Filipino seafarers were among 25 crew members taken hostage by Yemen-based Houthi rebels in an attack on an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea. The Philippines is negotiating their release, officials said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/20 ... za-israel/
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10 released Thai hostages being monitored in Israeli hospital

by THE NATION

November 25, 2023

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday announced the names of 10 Thai nationals held hostage in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian group Hamas who were released on Friday under a ceasefire deal.

The ministry clarified that Hamas had released 10, not 12 Thai hostages as announced earlier.

The ministry said officials of the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv on Friday visited the released Thai hostages at Shamir Medical Centre Hospital (Assaf Harofeh) while they were treated by the medical team.

The released Thai hostages are:

1. Natthawaree Moonkan

2. Santi Boonphrom

3. Boonthom Phankhong

4. Mongkhol Phajuabboon

5. Withoon Phumee

6. Wichai Kalapat

7. Bancha Kongmanee

8. Buddee Saengboon

9. Uthai Thunsri

10. Uthai Sangnuan

The embassy said it had notified their relatives in Thailand of their release, and was monitoring the treatment of the released hostages at the hospital, where they are required to stay for 48 hours.

During their stay, the released hostages would be evaluated by Thai-speaking psychologists and social workers, the embassy said.

The ministry added that the 10 released Thai hostages included four who had never been confirmed by Israeli authorities as having been taken hostage. The ministry estimated that 20 more Thais were still being held in Gaza. Earlier reports had said that a total of 26 Thais had been confirmed by Israel as taken hostage by Hamas.

The ministry vowed to continue working for the release of the rest of the Thai hostages as soon as possible, while thanking related parties in supporting the negotiations with Hamas, including the governments of Qatar, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

https://www.nationthailand.com/world/mi ... a/40033196
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Mother breathes sigh of relief after Hamas frees daughter

by Chakrapan Natanri

November 25, 2023

The mother of a Thai woman, who was among 10 Thai hostages released by Hamas militants on Friday, breathed a sigh of relief upon learning the news, calling it a real miracle.

Ms Boonyarin Srichan, 56, a resident of tambon Khok Samran in Ban Haed district, on Saturday burst into tears of joy after the Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed that her daughter and son-in-law were among the 10 Thai nationals released by Hamas in Gaza.

Natthawaree Mulkan, 35, and her husband Boonthom Phankhong, 45, were held hostage by Hamas militants after violence erupted in Israel on Oct 7.

The family was worried about the plight of Ms Natthawaree and Mr Boonthom after they had been taken captive in the war-torn region. The release of the 10 Thai workers, including the couple, brought relief to the worrying families of the hostages.

"I am extremely happy that I could not sleep. I earlier heard news that my daughter and my son-in-law had been taken hostage by Hamas, and my son-in-law reportedly got killed. I thought my daughter might be thin and might not be physically normal. When seeing a photo that a close friend of my daughter sent to me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Both my daughter and son-in-law are safe and look healthy," Ms Boonyarin said happily.

The mother said she did not know the release of the hostages were a result of diplomatic negotiations or international talks. Still, she believed it was a miracle that came true. Her daughter often made merits and respected her parents and teachers, and her good deeds helped protect her, the mother added.

"I and my relatives also sought blessings from sacred things in Khon Kaen and spirit houses at our village to help protect my daughter and her husband. Their release is a miracle. For the time being, I have no details when they will return to Thailand. If I know details about their flight and date of their arrivals, I will bring their daughters to meet them at an airport. I will take them to make offerings to sacred things to fulfill our vow for the safe release. I will take my daughter to be ordained at Wat Weruwan for one month too," said the mother.

The woman had earlier begged the Thai government to find and her rescue her daughter after Ms Natthawaree was abducted along with her husband by Hamas shortly after the violence erupted in Israel.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... s-daughter

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Four more Thais released by Hamas, 18 still being held hostage

by THE NATION

November 26, 2023

A second batch of four more Thai nationals held hostage in the Gaza Strip was released by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Sunday.

They are currently being taken to a hospital in Israel for a health check, according to a report from the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The embassy said that Israeli authorities had confirmed two more Thais earlier unaccounted for were among those taken hostage in the October 7 raid by Hamas, taking the total number of Thai hostages still in Gaza to 18.

The ministry said that the first batch of 10 Thais released on Friday had opportunities to talk to their families, adding that Thai authorities would fly them home as soon as possible.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, beginning the morning of November 24. Under the terms of the truce, some Palestinians will be freed from detention in Israel while Hamas will release people it has taken hostage.

The Israeli military also reported UN humanitarian aid entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing on the first day of the truce. The UN Humanitarian Office said goods carried in 137 trucks had been offloaded in Gaza on Friday, the biggest convoy since October 7.

https://www.nationthailand.com/world/mi ... a/40033217
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4 more Thais released by Hamas

November 26, 2023

Four more Thai workers held hostage by Hamas were released on Saturday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanchama Patarachoke revealed on Sunday, citing a report from the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv.

Ms Kanchana, director-general of the Department of Information, said the four Thais had been admitted by Israeli officials to a hospital for a health examination. The Thai embassy had sent its staff to take care of them at the hospital and informed their families of the good news, she added.

In another development, Ms Kanchana said the Israeli authorities had informed the Thai embassy that two more Thai workers had been held captive by Hamas.

Therefore, after 10 Thais were freed in the first release and another four in the second, it was believed 18 Thai nationals were still being held in captivity. The Thai government is doing all it can to get all of them released, she said.

Ms Kanchana said while the hostages are being gradually released and those released have been allowed to talk to their families back in Thailand, the Foreign Ministry would like to ask journalists not to ask for or disseminate information about how the hostages had been treated while in captivity since the matter is delicate and could affect the safety of those still being held.

The Foreign Ministry is coordinating with its Israeli counterpart to bring the 14 Thais who have been released back to their families in Thailand as soon as possible, she said.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin posted on X (formerly Twitter) that on Nov 25 at 11.50pm (local time) four more Thais were released by Hamas. He identified them as Nathaporn Onkaew, Komkrit Chombua, Anucha Angkaew and Manee Jirachart.

Mr Srettha said all of them were in good health, mentally and physically, and did not require emergency treatment.

"All they wanted was to take a shower and call their relatives. They were admitted to Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofe) Hospital. Thanks must go to the Foreign Ministry and our security agencies," the prime minister said in his post.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... d-by-hamas

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Hamas has released three more Thai hostages

by THE NATION

November 27, 2023

The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third exchange under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Most hostages were handed over directly to Israel, waving to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air force base. Others left through Egypt. Israel’s army said one was airlifted to a hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Center said Elma Avraham, 84, was in life-threatening condition as “a result of an extended period of time when an elderly woman was not taken care of as needed.”

The youngest hostage released was Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl and dual Israeli-American citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7. “What she endured was unthinkable,” Biden said of the first American freed under the truce. He did not know her condition and did not provide updates on other American hostages. Biden said his goal was to extend the cease-fire deal as long as possible.

In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Three more Thai nationals were released. Separately, Hamas said it released a Russian hostage “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin.” The Russian-Israeli citizen was the first male hostage to be freed.

The Palestinian prisoners released were children and young men, ages 15-19, largely accused of public disorder, property damage and in some cases causing or threatening physical harm to Israeli officers by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. Many were scooped up from protests and confrontations with troops. In turn, many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation.

A fourth exchange is expected on Monday — the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. Most are women and minors.

International mediators led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are trying to extend the cease-fire that began Friday.

“We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing,” said two of Edan’s relatives, a great aunt and cousin, in a statement thanking mediators.

Hamas for the first time said it would seek to extend the deal by looking to release a larger number of hostages. Netanyahu issued a statement saying he had spoken to Biden and reiterated his offer to extend the cease-fire by an additional day for every 10 hostages Hamas releases. But he said Israel would resume its offensive “with all of our might” once the truce expires.

Ahead of the latest hostage release, Netanyahu donned body armor and visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops. “At the end of the day we will return every one,” he said of the hostages, adding that “we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.” It was not clear where he went inside Gaza.

This is the first significant pause in seven weeks of war, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The war has claimed more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack.

In New York, hundreds of Jewish protesters and allies demanding a permanent cease-fire in Gaza shut down vehicle traffic on the Manhattan Bridge in both directions for several hours Sunday. A New York police spokesperson could not immediately provide an exact number of how many people were arrested.

LIFE IN CAPTIVITY

Hamas’ military wing released a video showing militants handing over the hostages to Red Cross workers and paramedics, with some of the balaclava-wearing fighters and hostages waving goodbye to each other.

Families from the southern Israeli town of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded Sunday at the news that hostages from their town had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of around 700 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped.

The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has largely been good. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity.

Merav Raviv, whose three relatives were released on Friday, said they had been fed irregularly and lost weight. One reported eating mainly bread and rice and sleeping on a makeshift bed of chairs pushed together. Hostages sometimes had to wait for hours to use the bathroom, she said.

Pressure from families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israel’s leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power. Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the incursion into southern Israel that ignited the war. Fifty-eight have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.

AID TO NORTHERN GAZA

The pause has given some respite to Gaza’s 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, made their way through entire city blocks gutted by airstrikes.

But those among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled the north have been turned back by Israeli troops while trying to return to check their homes.

“They open fire on anyone approaching from the south,” said Rami Hazarein, who fled Gaza City.

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. An Israeli military spokesperson said they weren’t aware of the episode.

The United Nations says the truce made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, but it calls the 160 to 200 trucks a day “hardly enough.”

It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began, and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said 50 Egyptian aid trucks crossed through Israeli checkpoints to reach Gaza City and northern areas Sunday.

HAMAS COMMANDER KILLED

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting. Israel’s military confirmed the death.

Al-Ghandour had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas’ rocket-firing unit. The Israeli military mentioned both men in a Nov. 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.

Elsewhere, the war has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian health authorities said Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before. The war toll in the West Bank is now 239.

The Israeli army has conducted frequent raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.

https://www.nationthailand.com/world/mi ... a/40033245

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Two more Thai hostages held by Hamas freed

November 29, 2023

Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara welcomed on Wednesday the release of two more Thai hostages who had been held by Hamas in Gaza, the latest to be freed under a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas.

"Happy to personally welcome two additional Thai hostages just released and arrived at the hospital in Tel Aviv," Mr Parnpree, who is also deputy prime minister, posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

"A totally warm feeling to see how the former 17 were lining up to welcome and give moral support to the two newcomers," he said.

Nineteen Thai hostages have so far been released, while the Foreign Ministry says 13 more remain in captivity. There were 39 Thai nationals killed in the Oct 7 attack by Hamas.

A Thai Muslim group that spoke directly with Hamas said on Monday its efforts were key to ensuring Thai hostages were among the first to be released. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said multiple actors were consulted.

Before the Israel-Hamas war, about 30,000 Thai labourers worked in Israel's agriculture sector, comprising one of the largest migrant worker groups in the country.

Nearly 9,000 have been repatriated, according to the government.

The Thai citizens released are slated to return home this week as Mr Parnpree visits Israel.

On Monday, Hamas released three Thai nationals.

On Tuesday, Hamas released an additional 10 Israeli hostages along with the two Thais, according to the Israeli prime minister's office, bringing the total of freed hostages to 81 during the five-day cease-fire, which was extended for two days from Tuesday.

In turn, Israel freed 30 Palestinian prisoners, according to the Qatari government that mediated the swap deal. Israel has freed a total of 180 Palestinians during the five-day period, according to the Israeli prime minister's office.

Story and photos: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... d-by-hamas

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17 Thai hostages released by Hamas arrive in Thailand

November 30, 2023

A group of 17 Thai nationals who had been held hostage by Hamas militants in Gaza arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

A total of 23 Thai hostages have been released in Gaza, with nine remaining in captivity.

Hamas gunmen from Gaza killed 39 Thais and abducted 32 Thai labourers during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to the Thai government.

Before the war, around 30,000 Thai labourers worked in the agriculture sector, making the group one of Israel's largest migrant worker groups.

So far, 9,000 Thais have been repatriated.

Family members waited on Thursday to greet their relatives at Suvarnabhumi airport.

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin believes that an extended ceasefire was a good sign and hopes that all hostages including Thai hostages will be released, the government said in a statement Thursday.

Thai migrant workers in Israel come mainly from the Southeast Asian nation's rural northeast, seeking higher pay to send home to their families.

Deputy Primme Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said he held talks with his counterparts in several Middle Eastern countries with Hamas contacts. Mr Parnpree was previously in Cairo and Doha for talks.

A Thai Muslim group that held direct talks with Hamas said their efforts were crucial in securing the early release of Thai hostages. On the first day of the ceasefire, 10 Thai hostages were released without condition.

Story and photos: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... n-thailand

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Despite the fact Hamas knew these hostages were Thai and had nothing to do with the conflict, they were still tortured and mistreated.

WHY? What was that supposed to accomplish?
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Thai hostage recalls beatings and bleakness

By Napat Wesshasartar and Devjyot Ghoshal, Reuters

December 7, 2023

UDON THANI - When farm labourer Anucha Angkaew scrambled out of the bunker where he had been sheltering from rockets on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip around 7.30am on Oct 7, he expected to see Israeli soldiers.

Instead, Anucha and his five Thai colleagues were accosted by 10 armed militants, whom he identified as Hamas by the Palestine flags on their sleeves.

“We shouted ‘Thailand, Thailand’,” said Anucha, a soft-spoken 28-year-old with a wispy goatee. “But they didn’t care.”

Two of the six Thais were killed soon after, including a friend who Anucha said was shot dead in front of him in a random act of violence. The rest were forced on to a truck for a roughly 30 minute ride into Gaza.

Anucha’s first-person account offers a glimpse into what many hostages endured — and some continue to endure. He described sleeping on a sandy floor and beatings by Hamas captors, who he said singled out Israelis for especially brutal treatment.

To keep their hopes up, the four Thai men relied on chess games on a makeshift board, memories of family and craving for Thai food. Few of the freed hostages have spoken at length about their ordeal, though others who have since been released also described beatings and death threats.

Hamas officials did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on Anucha’s account.

“I thought I would die,” he said on Wednesday, at his family home in Don Pila in the northeastern province of Udon Thani, where he returned this month after 50 days in captivity.

Almost all that time was spent inside two small underground rooms, secured by armed guards and accessed by dark narrow tunnels.

At least 240 people — Israelis and foreign nationals — were abducted to Gaza on Oct 7 by Hamas militants who burst through the border and killed some 1,200 people. More than 100 hostages — largely women, children and non-Israelis — have been released.

In retaliation for the attack, Israel mounted a devastating bombing campaign and ground offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people, according to figures from Palestinian health officials deemed reliable by the United Nations.

Some 130 people, including eight Thais, remain captive. Before the war, around 30,000 Thai labourers worked in the agriculture sector, making them one of Israel’s largest migrant worker groups. Israel offers the farmhands higher wages.

Thailand, which has friendly ties with Israel, recognised Palestine as a sovereign state in 2012.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has compared the dead Thai hostages to “heroes” and said the released captives would receive the same benefits as their Israeli counterparts.

Two meals, two bottles of water

Once in Gaza, the uniformed militants handed the Thais to a small group of men who took them to an abandoned house and tied their hands behind their backs.

The Thais were joined by a terrified 18-year-old Israeli, a man Anucha said he knew from Kibbutz Re’im, where he worked on an avocado farm.

Beatings began shortly after, as their captors punched and kicked them. “We shouted ‘Thailand, Thailand’,” he said, which eased the intensity of the blows. The young Israeli wasn’t spared.

An hour later, all five were put into another truck that drove for about 30 minutes to a small building that led into a tunnel.

Near the mouth of the tunnel, they were beaten again and photographed, Anucha said, before walking through a dark, roughly metre-wide passage to a small room.

In this windowless space, which measured around 1.5 by 1.5 metres and was lit by a bulb, the five were joined by another Israeli man. The militants continued kicking and punching the captives for two days, Anucha said. After that, they persisted with another two days of beatings for the Israelis, who were whipped using electrical wires.

Anucha was not seriously injured but weeks after his release from captivity, his wrist still bore marks from the restraints.

The captives slept on the bare sandy floor. The six men were served flat bread twice a day and shared two bottles of water between them that was replenished daily.

Their toilet was a hole in the ground near the room, where they were taken by one of eight guards armed with assault weapons that resembled AK-47s. Guards told them not to talk among themselves.

“I felt hopeless,” Anucha said.

Anucha initially counted down the days by the number of meals. After four days, the six were marched to another room.

During the walk, Anucha said the tunnel, which was lit by flash lights carried by their captors, was lined with metal doors.

‘Thailand, go home’

Their new room was more spacious. They had plastic sheets to sleep on. Three bulbs lit the space. An alcove served as their toilet.

The beatings stopped. The food improved to include nuts, butter and, later, rice.

Still using meals to measure time, Anucha left scratches on the floor to mark the number of days in captivity. That changed when a guard brought in some papers for them to sign. He, like the other guards, only spoke Arabic. The Israelis interpreted for Anucha, who said he speaks rudimentary Hebrew.

But the guard left behind a white ballpoint pen. They used it to mark time, draw tattoos and sketch a chessboard on the plastic sheet. Chess pieces were crafted out of a pink-and-green toothpaste box. Another distraction was talk of food. Anucha craved soi ju, a Thai delicacy of pieces of raw beef dipped in spicy sauce, that he dreamed and spoke of.

“Food was a source of hope,” he said, smiling.

Weeks passed. Anucha had no inkling of the Israeli raids and bombings aboveground. He often thought of home, his father, his seven year old daughter and his partner of 14 years.

On Day 35, a man dressed in black arrived for a brief inspection. From his demeanour and the respectful behaviour of the guards, the captives surmised he was a senior Hamas leader.

Their routine resumed, until one day, a guard arrived following their first meal and announced: “Thailand, go home.”

The four Thais were led through tunnels for roughly two hours and arrived overground to a Hamas facility, where a handful of female Israeli hostages were also waiting.

Some 11 hours later, they were handed over to the Red Cross, which drove them out of Gaza on Nov 25.

“I didn’t think I would get released,” he said, “It was like I was reborn.”

But the hardest part was still what he saw on Oct 7, Anucha said. “I lost my friend in front of my eyes.”

Story and photos: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -bleakness

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I will place this topic back under "Announcements" if and when and further significant reports come out.