26-10-2023 (BANGKOK) The Israeli government disclosed that more than half of the estimated 220 hostages held by the Palestinian group Hamas possess foreign passports from 25 different countries. Among these hostages, 54 are Thai nationals, according to official reports released on Wednesday.
Providing updated figures, the Israeli government further stated that a total of 328 individuals from 40 countries have been confirmed as either deceased or missing following the unexpected attack by Hamas fighters on southern Israel on October 7th. The assault claimed the lives of an estimated 1,400 people.
Among the hostages, 138 held foreign passports, including 15 Argentinians, 12 Germans, 12 Americans, six French, and six Russians. While many of the hostages were believed to have dual Israeli nationality, it was confirmed that some, such as the Thai and five Nepalese hostages, did not possess Israeli citizenship. Additional hostages consisted of one Chinese national, one Sri Lankan, two individuals from Tanzania, and two from the Philippines.
Tragically, the Thai nationals also accounted for the largest group of foreign casualties, with 24 confirmed deaths and 21 individuals still unaccounted for. Thailand serves as one of the primary sources of migrant workers in Israel, with approximately 30,000 Thai workers employed in the country’s agriculture sector, as per government data.
Meanwhile, the Thai Foreign Ministry expressed their anticipation of receiving official confirmation from the Israeli government regarding the 54 Thai nationals who are reportedly being held hostage by Hamas.
Other nations that experienced significant losses included the United States, with 34 fatalities and five individuals still missing, Ukraine with 25 deaths and two missing, France with 23 deaths and one missing, and Russia with 23 deaths and four missing. Additionally, five Chinese citizens lost their lives, and one remains missing, while Nepal mourned the loss of five individuals with an additional five still missing.
