2023-11-24 20:47:48
A start of relief. Of the 25 Thais who were held in Gaza by Hamas since the October 7 attack against Israel, around ten have just been released this Friday, with the Bangkok authorities citing the number as twelve. But Qatar, which played a key role in the negotiations between Hamas and Israel, for its part indicated that “ten Thai citizens” had been released.
The Bangkok authorities specify that their nationals were first taken to the Rafah border post (Egypt), before being transferred to the territory of the Hebrew State, where they must be taken care of by the Shamir Medical Center. “We are delighted to learn [leur] liberation »Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara rejoiced on X (ex-Twitter). “Our embassies in the region are on alert and are coordinating with the authorities on site. We will send additional teams from Thailand”he added.
Very much welcome the good news regarding the release of additional hostages. I wish to offer my sincerest regards to those who have been released as well as to their families. I praise the mediation efforts which has led to humanitarian pause as called for by the UNSC. I…
— Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara (@drparnpreeb) November 24, 2023
A few minutes earlier, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin also declared on X that she had received confirmation that twelve of her compatriots “ had already been released “. If this number were confirmed, thirteen Thais would still be in captivity in Gaza. At least thirty-nine were killed by the Islamist group on October 7, making Thailand one of the countries most affected by this massacre.
30,000 Thais on Israeli soil
Before this new war between Israel and Hamas, the Hebrew state counted nearly 30,000 Thais on its soil, most of them migrant agricultural workers who came from poor regions of their country in the hope of receiving better wages. Among them, 5,000 worked on farms or kibbutzim around the Gaza Strip, exposed to rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave. In 2021, two Thais were killed when a missile hit a farm near the border.
Since the tragedy of October 7, more than 8,000 Thai nationals have been repatriated. But while the Bangkok government has continued to call on its nationals living in Israel to ” go home [eux] »around two thirds nevertheless decided to stay working for reasons of economic survival.
Multiplication of diplomatic channels
In addition to the repatriation aspect, the Thai authorities have, in recent weeks, “ requested help from several countries to try to obtain from Hamas the release of the Thai hostages “, says Roostum Vansu, lecturer in international relations at Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok.
The Prime Minister spoke with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, and also discussed the fate of the hostages with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Thai government representatives also met with officials from Qatar and Egypt.
A Thai delegation even went to Tehran last month to talk with Hamas leaders. Neighboring Malaysia, which openly supports Palestine and has no diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, also took part in efforts to free the Thai hostages.
Bangkok has thus multiplied diplomatic channels, omitting no actor in the region, by taking advantage of its neutrality on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Thailand established official relations with the Hebrew State in 1954 and recognized the State Palestinian in 2012. In this sense, “talking with Hamas, which de facto rules in Gaza, is the best way to proceed to preserve the lives of Thais” held hostage, believes academic Roostum Vansu.
The Thai government, which earlier today welcomed “the humanitarian pause”thanked “all those from whom he asked for help to obtain the release of these first hostages”adding: “We very much hope that all other hostages will be taken care of and released safely as soon as possible. »
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