'I'm not dead,' Thai hostage says after 'miracle' release in Gaza
World
'I'm not dead,' Thai hostage says after 'miracle' release in Gaza
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Vetoon Phoome's family feared the Thai farm worker had been killed by Hamas in last month's attack on Israel, until they found out on Saturday he had been freed along with other Thai hostages in Gaza.
"He told me not to cry, to tell mother I'm coming back," Vetoon's sister, Roongarun Wichagern, told Reuters after an emotional reunion with him via video call.
Vetoon, 33, who has been living in Israel for five years, was one of 10 Thai hostages freed by Hamas during the first truce of a seven-week-old war that started with the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel.
"He said, 'I'm not dead, I'm not dead'," Roongarun said, calling his survival a "miracle".
The 10 Thais were among 24 hostages freed on Friday in a deal negotiated in parallel with the truce and an exchange of 39 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Thailand's government said 20 of its nationals are still captive.
Thailand's foreign minister and army chief will travel to Israel to bring the freed hostages back, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters, adding that his government was still trying to secure the release of the remaining captives.
"We will not stop. We will bring them back," he said.
Iran's Embassy in Bangkok said on social media that Tehran had facilitated the release by providing a list of names to Hamas following a request from Thailand's Foreign Ministry and a parliamentary speaker.
A Thai foreign ministry spokesperson said Thailand had "provided lists since the beginning to everyone," including Qatar, Egypt, Israel and Iran.
