UDON THANI, Oct 30 (TNA) – Three more Thai nationals have been held hostage by Hamas, raising the total number of Thais held captive to 22.
Before departing for a visit to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic at the Royal Thai Air Force Base in Udon Thani, Thai Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin said he received a report three more Thai workers have been detained.
While there is no additional information available at the moment, negotiations for their release are in progress. The situation for Thai workers in Israel has been increasingly challenging, and authorities are urging those who haven’t made a decision yet to return home promptly.
The Chief of the Defense Forces is currently overseas and is actively working to negotiate the release of the detainees. More information is expected to be available later in the evening, said the prime minister.
As for the ground operations in Israel, it has already started impacting travel. He emphasized that while some progress has been made, they need to work with increased precision and caution to ensure the safety of the evacuees. Discussions are ongoing with many details to consider.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also provided an update on the impact of the Israel-Hamas situation as of October 29, 2023, reporting 32 fatalities (unchanged), 19 injuries (unchanged), and 22 individuals held captive (an increase of 3). (TNA)