JERUSALAEM, Feb 4 : Family members of Thai hostages released by Hamas last week after over 15 months of captivity in the Gaza Strip have visited them at the Israeli hospital where they are recuperating.
The Thai Embassy in Israel said the family members flew in on Tuesday and met with the freed hostages at the Shamir Medical Center.
Hamas released five Thai hostages last week along with three Israeli captives who were freed as part of a ceasefire agreement in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas militants kidnapped 31 Thai nationals along with scores of Israelis and a few other foreigners during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that ignited the war.
Tens of thousands of Thai farmers work in Israel, where they can make higher wages than they can at home.
Many lived in compounds on the outskirts of southern Israeli farming communities and towns that were overrun by Hamas-led militants.
During an earlier ceasefire in November 2023, 23 Thai nationals were released in a deal negotiated between Thailand and Hamas, with assistance from Qatar and Iran.
According to Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 46 Thais have been killed during the conflict, including two Thai citizens who were killed on October 7, 2023 and their bodies taken into Gaza. (AP)
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