Five published in Gaza published by Hamas

Five Thai agricultural workers who were kidnapped to Israel on October 7 during the Hamas attacks were released in Gaza after almost 500 days.

They were handed over to the Red Cross In chaotic scenes together with two IsraelisShortly after a first Israeli hostage was liberated.

Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Saethao and Surasak Lamnao had all worked in South Israel when they were kidnapped during the attacks in October 2023.

Thailand’s Prime Minister said she was enthusiastic about hearing news about her release, and her government worked with Israel “so that they can reconcile with their families soon”. A Thai hostage is not taken into account.

“The Thai government, including all here in Thailand, has been waiting for this moment for a long time,” PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra posted on social media.

“I believe in my hope that the remaining Thai citizen will be released and returned to us safely and quickly and quickly.”

It was a day for the families of the released hostages that they had been waiting for for a long time.

Wilas Thaenna cried after receiving a call to say that his son Pongsak had been freed on Thursday.

“I never thought that this day would come, everything has been too quiet for some time,” the 65-year-old told BBC.

He revealed that he had hardly slept the night before because he was so excited that his son was released.

“I don’t know how to explain how I went through everything,” he continued.

“My son was captured, I lost my wife, I had to stay strong.

“The first five or six months, I lost so much weight. It was worrying, I had no strength to do something or go somewhere. I was worried all the time.

“When I see him, I will hug him and tell him that he should come home.”

Wiwwaew Sriaoun also sobbed when it was confirmed that her son Watchara had been released.

“The first thing I want to do is to hug my son and tell him that I miss him a lot,” she said. “His daughter Nudeee was also happy. She prayed every day to return her father.”

She said all relatives of Watchara came to her house in the province of Udon Thani to carefully monitor the news.

“I had hopes, but I have also lost hopes several times,” she said, adding that she received a call on Wednesday evening, but was not sure whether her son would still be alive. She also couldn’t sleep and revealed the AFP news agency, which she and her husband knocked on her farm in the early morning.

Sirinna Suwannakham, the younger sister of the freed Geisel Sathian, said her family had only managed to keep hope alive because they had no proof that he had been killed.

“If he had died, we would have had a body to stop a ceremony,” she said. “But there was none. So we never lost hope. We always believed that my brother was still alive. We never gave up. We always waited for him to come home.”

The released hostages are now taken to the hospital in Israel after being met by Thai government officials.

Thirty -thirty Thai workers were taken hostage in the attacks in October 2023, according to the Thai government. Another 39 were killed that day.

The majority was released in November 2023 and, according to officials, only left eight in Gaza. It is believed that two have died since then, while the fate of the final Geisel – Nattapong Pinta – is not known.

Almost all foreign workers were kidnapped during the attack. Israel employs around 30,000 of them as peasant work and makes them one of the largest migrant groups in the country.

The publication is part of a separate agreement between the Hamas and the Thai government – it is not part of the ceasefire Israel -Hamas, which was agreed on January 19.