Beer Yaakov, Israel (AP) – When the mother of one of the Thai hostages held in the Gaza Strip for more than a year saw his son on a Facebook livestream after his release on Thursday, he had changed so that she had not made him recognize him at the beginning.
Surasak Rumnao, 32, who was kidnapped from the Israeli city south of Yesha on October 7, 2023, looked pale and swollen, said his mother, Khammee Lamnao.
“I was so happy to eat nothing. Her father brought me food but I didn’t want to eat everything at all, “Khammee said in a video call with the Associated Press after the release of his son.
Dozens of doctors, nurses and Israeli representatives from Israel and Thailand have gone flags, sang and applauded Thursday while the five Thai hostages came out of a military helicopter and entered a hospital at the ‘outside of Tel Aviv, where they will spend a few days undergoing medical tests and recover. Three Israelis were also released on ThursdayAnd Israel released 110 Palestinian prisoners in the exchange.
Besides Sarusak, Watchara Sriaoun, 33, Sathian Suwannakham, 35, Pongsak Thaenna, 36, and Bannawat Saethao, 27, were released in Thursday’s exchange.
Hamas activists kidnapped 31 Thai nationals during the assault on southern Israel, making it the largest group of foreigners detained in captivity. A lot of Thai agriculture Workers lived in compounds on the outskirts of southern Kibbutzim and Israeli cities, and Hamas activists invaded these places first.
During a previous ceasefire in November 2023, 23 Thai nationals were published in a negotiated agreement between Thailand and Hamas, with the help of Qatar and Iran.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand, 46 Thai people were killed during the conflict, including two Thai citizens who were killed on October 7, 2023 and their bodies taken to Gaza.
Dr. Osnat Levzion-Korach, director of the Shamir Medical Center outside Tel Aviv, where the five were taken, said they were in “fair” health, although most of them were detained underground and n ‘were not exposed to the sun for long periods. She said they did not seem to be ill -fed and credited their young age to have helped them survive captivity in fairly good physical shape.
The ambassador of Thailand to Israel, Pannabha Chandraramya, said that she had facilitated video calls between hostages and their families after their arrival in hospital, describing them as incredibly emotional, with cries of joy and tears . She said it was “one of the happiest days of her life”, to see their release a week before ending her five -year term.
Pannabha said there was no immediate information available on the latest Thai hostages in Gaza, Nattapong Pingsa, nor the two Thai workers whose bodies were taken to Gaza.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra thanked Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, the United States, Israel and the Red Cross, for helping to negotiate the Liberation of the Thai in a distinct agreement of the ceasefire -The-feu of Israel. She said the Thai Foreign Minister would go to Israel this weekend.
Ambassador Pannabha said that the Thai government could bring some parents of the hostages released to Israel, although many have no passports, and that the government would help people who were released to go to her as soon as they are medically authorized to to travel.
Israel will recognize the Thai hostages released as terrorist victims, an appointment that brings them financial advantages and health care, said Alex Gandler, deputy spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Affairs.
He said the Israel Ambassador to Thailand had visited some of the hostages published in the previous ceasefire agreement on Thursday and that the Israeli government comes into contact with them. Gandler added that since the Thai liberated had had no family in Israel to greet them at their release, some of their former employers came to meet them in the hospital.
Gandler said that Israel is committed to publishing all hostages, whatever nationality. There is still a Thai, a Nepalese and one in Tanzanian hostage, as well as the bodies of a Tanzanian and the two Thai detained in Gaza, according to the office of the Prime Minister. Israel hopes that all international hostages will be published, both alive and dead, said Gandler, that Israel and Hamas will begin to discuss next week.
