Israeli embassy mourns deaths of 2 more Thai hostages held by Hamas

The two were among eight Thai nationals believed to have been in Hamas’ custody in Gaza after 23 others were released as part of a weeklong truce deal in late November. The Thai workers were taken hostage during the surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7 last year.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased during this difficult time. Their loss is felt deeply not only by those who knew and loved them, but by all of us,” the embassy said in its statement.

“We stand together with the Thai community in your mourning. It is our moral obligation to return all the 132 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza as soon as possible,” the embassy said.

A copy of the statement, in Thai and English, was also published on the embassy’s Facebook page “Israel in Thailand”.

According to the statement, the bodies of the two Thai workers from Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel – identified as Sonthaya Oakkharasri and Sudthisak Rinthalak – were still being held by Hamas.
 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Thursday that the two Thai hostages were killed during the October 7 massacre and their bodies were taken to Gaza.

The farm where the pair worked is located about four kilometres from the Gaza border, according to a report in The Times of Israel

Some 30,000 Thai nationals were working in Israel on the eve of Hamas’s attack, many of them fieldhands in agricultural areas near the Gaza border.

On Monday, the Embassy of Israel invited Narisara Malee – the widow of Tianchai Yotthongdee, one of the 39 Thai farm workers killed during the October 7 Hamas attack – to attend Yom HaZikaron, the Day of Remembrance for Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. The commemoration was presided over by Israel’s ambassador to Thailand, Orna Sagiv.

The widow shared her life story and feelings, including the impact of losing her husband, who was the pillar of the family. She also expressed gratitude to both the Thai and Israeli governments for their assistance to the bereaved families, the embassy reported in its Facebook post.