Thai Hostages held by Hamas and other militants : Thai FM

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara (L) met with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Hassen Shoukry (R) in Cairo.

Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said today that the 23 Thai hostages taken in Israel are being held by Hamas and other militant groups. As such, negotiations must be held with multiple captors.

He also said that he was surprised to be told, during his separate meetings with the foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt and Iran last weekend, that the Thai people in Israel are “businessmen”.

He said he informed them that they are, in fact, poor labourers from Thailand who went to Israel to work on farms, to make money to send home to their families.

The foreign minister said he sought help from his counterparts to secure the quick release of Thai hostages, but was told that fighting continues in Gaza and they asked the Thai…