Thais to be among hostages freed if Gaza truce agreed, Thai officials say

In this picture taken on October 13, 2023, Kanyarat Suriyasri, the wife of Thai worker Owat Suriyasri who is being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, shows a picture of him and their two children in Kantharlak in Thailand’s northeast Si Sa Ket province. [AMAURY PAUL/AFP via Getty Images]

Thai politicians said yesterday they had received assurances from the Palestinian Resistance movement (Hamas) that all 25 Thai prisoners of war being held would be among those released if mediators succeed in brokering a ceasefire with the Israeli occupation in Gaza, Reuters reported.

“Any ceasefire … Hamas will release hostages, including all Thais being held, which they promised,” Lepong Syed told reporters in Bangkok’s parliament building.

“This could be in less than ten days or in the next two to three days,” he added.

On Wednesday, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that Hamas is seeking to release about 50 prisoners, most of them women and children, in exchange for the release of dozens of Palestinian female prisoners and children held in Israeli prisons with the possibility of releasing some “political” prisoners as well.

However, Israel has demanded more prisoners of war be released in the exchange.

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