Israel army says two Thai hostages held in Gaza are dead

The Israeli army said on Thursday that two Thai hostages earlier believed to be alive in Gaza were killed in the October 7 attack and their bodies are being held in the Palestinian territory.

“We informed the families of two kidnapped Thai citizens, who worked in agriculture in the plantations near Kibbutz Be’eri, that they were murdered in the terrorist attack on October 7 and their bodies are being held by Hamas,” said army spokesman Daniel Hagari.

The Israeli army and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum named the two men as Sonthaya Oakkharasr and Sudthisak Rinthalak.

There are now six Thai hostages being held in Gaza, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) tally based on Israeli figures.

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“As we mourn the tragic murder of two Thai hostages, it is imperative for the international community to acknowledge that the hostage crisis extends beyond being solely an Israeli issue,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement, urging a united response.

Thailand has about 30,000 citizens in Israel, most of whom work in the agricultural sector.

Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel’s military retaliation has killed at least 35,272 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.