Thai Gaza hostages: Freed men arrive home to tears of joy in Bangkok

Last month, after the handover of the five hostages in Khan Yunis, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she was “elated” that they were out of captivity.

She thanked Israel, as well as Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and the US for their work to secure the releases.

A total of 46 Thai workers have been killed since October 2023, according to the foreign ministry in Bangkok, the majority in the Hamas attack and some by rockets fired by the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

Hamas seized 251 hostages and killed about 1,200 people when it attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, triggering the Gaza war.

At least 47,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. About two-thirds of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed by Israel’s attacks, the UN says.

The release of the Thai hostages does not form part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal agreed on 19 January, under which 21 Israeli hostages and 566 Palestinian prisoners have been freed so far.

By the end of the first stage of the ceasefire in three weeks’ time, 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners are expected to have been freed. Israel says eight of the 33 are dead.