Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Friday that he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of two Thais who were killed in an attack on Israel on October 7 and whose bodies were held by Hamas.
The Israeli army said late Thursday that it had informed families of the deaths of two men identified as “kidnapped Thai nationals” and previously believed to be living within the Gaza Strip.
According to AFP data based on Israeli data, six Thai hostages are currently being held in Gaza.
“I am deeply saddened by the news that two Thai hostages in Gaza have now been confirmed dead, namely Mr. Sonthay Oakkharasri and Mr. Sudthisak Rinthalak,” Srettha announced on the X social media platform.
“I offer my sincere condolences to each families,” he added.
“The Thai government will continue to make every effort to secure the release of the remaining hostages.”
The Israeli army said Thursday that the 2 Thais worked in agricultural plantations near Kibbutz Be’eri, considered one of the communities hardest hit by the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said their bodies were being held by Hamas.
Thailand has about 30,000 residents in Israel, most of whom work within the agricultural sector, where as agricultural staff they earn much higher wages than at home.
According to official data from the Israeli agency AFP, the Hamas attack on October 7 killed over 1,170 people, mostly civilians.
According to the Health Ministry, no less than 35,272 people, most of them civilians, were killed within the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in Israeli military retaliation.
About 30 Thais were amongst an estimated 250 people taken hostage by gunmen during cross-border raids in Israel.
Israel estimates that 128 hostages remain in Gaza, including 38 that the military says are dead.
Last November, seventeen Thai hostages were released and returned to the dominion. Another six returned home in early December.
