The family of a Thai farm worker held for over a year in Gaza weeps with relief as he was freed in a hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.
Five Thais were freed along with three Israelis held by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the Gaza war.
When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, 31 Thais were abducted, with 23 released by the end of 2023 and two confirmed dead in May.
“It is confirmed everyone, my son did not die. Thank you God,” Wiwwaeo Sriaoun says as she hears the confirmation that her son Watchara Sriaoun was among those freed.
“I will hug him when I see him. I want to see if his health is ok, I am worried about his health,” she adds between sobs.
“Thank you, thank you God he did not died. We trust in God.”
Around 10 family members had gathered to support Wiwwaeo as she waiting for news at the modest house on the family rubber farm in the northeast Udon Thani region.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel - and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Yes, I'll give
Yes, I'll give
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 30, 2025
