International Desk

Several Thai hostages kidnapped during Hamas's October 7 raids into Israel were released on Friday, according to the Thai, Israeli and Qatari governments, hours after a truce in the Israel-Hamas war began.

A total of 25 Thai nationals were among the estimated 240 people taken hostage by Palestinian militants during last month's wave of cross-border raids into Israel. The Thai and Israeli governments said the number of Thai hostages freed on Friday stood at 12.

Qatar, which mediated the landmark truce and exchange of hostages taken by Palestinian militants for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, put the number of Thais freed by Hamas lower, at 10 people.

In the worst attack in Israel's history, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel retaliated with a massive campaign of air, artillery and naval strikes alongside a ground offensive into Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas. According to the Hamas-run government, the war has killed around 15,000 people, thousands of them children. On Friday, a truce began following weeks of negotiations brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. Under the agreement, a four-day pause in the fighting was set to see at least 50 hostages released from Gaza in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

"It has been confirmed by the security side and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that 12 Thai hostages are already released," Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin posted on X. The Thai foreign ministry said in a statement that the 12 released Thai hostages had been transported into Israel via Egypt, as agreed under the terms of the truce deal.

"At this time, the gender and names of these Thais are not known," the ministry said, adding that it would "do all possible to expedite their return to Thailand." Nitsan Chen, head of the Israeli government's press office, said that 12 Thai hostages released by Hamas would be taken to hospital in Israel.

- 'Gesture' -

A source close to Hamas confirmed to AFP that some Thai hostages had been freed, in addition to hostages released under the deal with Israel. "Hamas made a gesture to also release some Thai foreigners," the source close to the Islamist movement said. An Israeli security source said 13 Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip had been handed over into Israeli custody Friday.
Citing a different figure for the Thai nationals, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, Majed Al Ansari, said a total of 24 hostages -- 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and one Filipino -- were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza by Hamas. Earlier this month, the Thai foreign minister travelled to Qatar to hold talks with his Iranian counterpart over the Thai nationals' release. Last week, a member of Thailand's hostage release negotiation team said his government had been given assurances by Hamas that the kingdom's nationals held by the armed group were "safe". A source with knowledge of the truce negotiations told AFP "the release of 12 Thai citizens held hostage in Gaza comes following the Thai foreign minister's visit to Qatar and mediation efforts by the Qataris and Egyptians".
About 30,000 Thais were working in Israel, mostly in the agriculture sector, at the time of the October 7 attacks, according to the kingdom's labour ministry.
Thirty-nine Thai citizens have been killed and 19 wounded in the war, with the kingdom evacuating more than 8,500 of its people, according to Bangkok's foreign ministry.