The Thai team formed by House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has concluded negotiations with representatives of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, who will free all 19 Thai hostages, said Saiyid Sulaiman Husaini, leader of an association of Shia Muslim in Thailand.
The Thai negotiation team comprises Areepen Uttarasin, Lerpong Syed and Sayyid Mumin Sakkitticha. The negotiations with Hamas have taken place over 2-3 rounds, and it is now considered to be successfully completed.
The Thai delegation was honored by an adviser to the President of Iran, as they conducted the negotiations at the Iranian advisor’s office. The negotiations involved key participants and proceeded without any problems, he said. Hamas has agreed to release the Thai nationals, but the release depends on the timing and safety conditions due to the hostages being in Gaza, where travel in and out is currently unsafe because of Israeli attacks. They must wait until Israel stops the attacks or agrees to a ceasefire.
Hamas had initially informed the Thai authorities of 19 hostages, but the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs later reported an additional 3 individuals whose status has not yet been confirmed, though their names have been submitted.
However, as of now, all 19 Thai hostages are safe and in good health. The negotiation team will report the details to the President of the Thai Parliament, after which it will be up to the government to handle the next steps, including the transportation of the hostages and obtaining flight permissions, which are at the government level.
Saiyid Sulaiman Husaini said that currently, Gaza has only one entrance and exit, which is the Rafah crossing near Egypt. Whether it opens or closes depends on Egypt’s decision. Thailand would need to directly request Egypt. It is still uncertain what the terms of the release will be, but this appears to be the only way to secure the release, as there are no other viable options. (TNA)
