Five held in Gaza released by Hamas

Five Thai agricultural workers abducted during the October 7 attacks from Hamas in Israel have been released after being held for almost 500 days in Gaza.

They were handed over to the Red Cross Under chaotic scenes along with two IsraelisShortly after a first Israeli hostages were released.

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

Thailand’s Prime Minister said she was excited to hear news about their release and her government was working with Israel “so they can be reunited with their families fastest”. A Thai hostages do not remain the accounts.

“The Thai government, including everyone here in Thailand, has long been waiting for this very moment,” posted Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on social media.

“I stick to my hope that the remaining Thai national will be released and returned to us safely and quickly.”

For the families of the released hostages it was a day they had long been waiting for.

Wilas Thaaenna cried after receiving a call to say his son Pongsak had been released on Thursday.

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

He revealed that he had barely slept the night before when he was so excited that the prospect of his son being released.

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

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

“First five or six months I have lost so much weight. It was worrying, I had no strength to do anything or go anywhere. I was worried all the time.

“When I see him, I will give him a hug and ask him to come home.”

Wiwwaew Sriaoun also cried as it was confirmed that her son Watchara had been released.

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

She said all Watchara’s relatives have come to her home in Udon Thani Province to closely monitor the news.

“I’ve had hope, but I also lost hope several times,” she said, adding that she received a call on Wednesday night, but wasn’t sure if her son would still be alive. She was also unable to sleep and revealed to AFP News Agency that she and her husband had gone rubber and tapped their farm in the early hours of the morning.

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

“If he was dead, we would have had a body to hold a ceremony,” she said. “But there was no one. So we never lost hope. We always thought my brother was still alive. We never gave up. We always waited for him to come home.”

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

32 Thai workers were given hostage in the attacks in October 2023, the Thai government has said earlier. Another 39 were killed on the day.

The majority were released in November 2023 and left only eight in Gaza, according to officials. It is believed that two have since died, while the fate of the final hostages – Nattapong Pinta – is unknown.

Almost all the foreign workers who were abducted during the attack were Thai. Israel employs approx. 30,000 of them as a courtyard, making them one of the largest migrant groups in the country.

The release is part of a separate agreement between Hamas and the Thai government -it is not part of Israel -hama’s Ceasefire agreement agreed on January 19.