Two more Thai workers in Israel confirmed dead, one taken hostage
In a distressing turn of events, two more Thai nationals working in Israel have been confirmed dead, and another has been taken hostage, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This escalates the already devastating situation in the region, with the death toll among Thai workers climbing to 34 and the number of Thai hostages held by Hamas rising to 24.
These events stem from the terrorist group’s attack initiated on October 7, and 19 Thais have sustained injuries.
Efforts to address the crisis have been underway, with the Thai government taking several diplomatic steps. A few days ago, negotiation teams were dispatched to meet with representatives from Iran, Qatar, and Hamas.
In addition, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin engaged in a direct phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During these discussions, Thai authorities received assurances that the hostages were safe and would be released, offering a glimmer of hope amid the dire circumstances.
While the government continues its endeavours to repatriate more Thai workers from the troubled region, the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv made a significant decision. Due to a notable decline in the number of Thai workers seeking to return home, the embassy has closed its evacuation centre in Israel. This move comes after a series of 35 evacuation flights that commenced on October 15, culminating with the closure of the shelter on November 3, reported Bangkok Post.
Repatriated Thai workers are urged to submit their compensation claims for evacuation flight tickets to their local Employment Office in Thailand. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also revealed that the last evacuation flight, operated by the Israeli airline Arkia, arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport with 90 repatriated Thai workers from Israel.
The situation remains fluid, and evacuation flights will be organised according to the number of Thai workers expressing their willingness to travel to Tel Aviv and board these flights.
In a gesture of support for the repatriated Thai workers from Israel, PM Srettha has approved a grant of 50,000 baht (US$ 1,407), supplemented by an additional 15,000 baht (US$ 422) from the overseas worker’s fund.
For Thai workers who had signed up for agricultural employment in Israel, approximately 700 of them have experienced delays in their employment due to the ongoing attacks in the region, according to Labor Permanent Secretary Pairote Chotikasathien.
