14-10-2023 (BANGKOK) Israeli Ambassador to Thailand, Orna Sagiv, has pledged Israel’s support in negotiating the release of 16 Thai nationals currently held hostage by Hamas. Ambassador Sagiv also expressed Israel’s commitment to assisting the Thai government’s efforts to repatriate its citizens from the embattled region.
During a discussion with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Ms. Sagiv assured that the process of identifying any deceased individuals believed to be Thai nationals would be expedited, with their remains repatriated as swiftly as possible.
However, the ongoing and volatile nature of the conflict has cast a shadow of uncertainty over any immediate efforts to secure the release of hostages. Walid Abu Ali, the Palestinian ambassador to Thailand, cautioned during a press briefing on Friday that the situation remains extremely precarious. He urged the international community to exert pressure on both sides involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict to cease hostilities before any attempts to retrieve hostages could be initiated.
“According to the Israeli ambassador, the situation in the war-torn region has not shown any signs of improvement; it is, in fact, escalating,” Prime Minister Srettha stated after his meeting with Ms. Sagiv at Government House on Friday morning.
Prime Minister Srettha emphasized that although Thailand is not a participant in the conflict, it has suffered substantial human losses, ranking second only to the United States. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reported that 21 Thai citizens have lost their lives in attacks over the past weekend, with an additional 14 sustaining injuries, and 16 being held as hostages.
Ambassador Sagiv, echoing the sentiment of her government, underscored that Israel places a high priority on the safe evacuation of Thai citizens, as well as all individuals in the region, to facilitate their repatriation.
“It is likely that Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia will serve as the primary destinations for the evacuation of Thai nationals, with repatriation occurring once flights become available,” Prime Minister Srettha explained.
He also expressed relief at the prospect of immediate repatriation flights from Israel, as nearly 99% of the local population has been evacuated from the war’s red zone, encompassing a 4-kilometer radius around Gaza.
The number of Thais who have communicated their intention to leave Israel to the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv surged to 6,778 on Friday. The MFA has set a target of repatriating 400 individuals per day.
In addition to air force arrangements, Thai AirAsia and Nok Air have pledged to organize two repatriation flights each. Thai Airways International may need to transport citizens from a nearby country as it does not typically operate flights to the Israeli capital, Prime Minister Srettha noted.
To facilitate these operations, the MFA is expediting negotiations with four countries, as the flights will need to pass through their airspace.
Prime Minister Srettha called upon additional commercial airlines to contribute, as the current combined capacity of participating parties can only transport 200 passengers per day back to Thailand. At this rate, it would take a month to repatriate all the affected Thai citizens.
Prime Minister Srettha also appealed to Israel through Ambassador Sagiv to accelerate negotiations for the release of Thai hostages held by Hamas. He assured that the Thai government is actively pursuing dialogue through various channels, although specific details remain undisclosed for security reasons.
Regarding the repatriation of the 21 deceased Thai nationals in Israel, Prime Minister Srettha conveyed that Ms. Sagiv had assured the Thai government of Israel’s awareness of their desire to bring these individuals back home. However, the identification process may take some time due to a backlog of approximately 1,000 bodies awaiting identification, in compliance with the Israeli government’s provision of lifetime financial compensation to the bereaved families.
Ambassador Sagiv also pledged to investigate reports of Thai workers in Israel, who, in their attempts to seek safety, claim they are being compelled by their employers to continue working even during the conflict.
