Mother of Thai man held in Gaza pleads for his release
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Wiwwaeo Sriaoun, whose son Watchara is one of six Thais held by Hamas, says ceasefire deal has given her more hope. The mother of a Thai man held in Gaza has pleaded for her son to be freed, saying the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that will allow for the gradual release of hostages had given her greater hope.
Wiwwaeo Sriaoun’s son Watchara was one of dozens of Thai workers kidnapped from the farms on which they were working in southern Israel on 7 October 2023. Six are still being held in Gaza. On Sunday three Israeli hostages were released at the start of the first phase of the long-awaited ceasefire and hostage deal, which is due to last for six weeks. A further 30 Israeli hostages are due to be released in the first phase, which does not cover foreign hostages.
“Please let my son come home safely,” Wiwwaeo said, adding that she was happy to see the release of three Israelis, and hoped that all the Thais would also be freed. “Give them the chance to return home as well. I’m worried about all the Thai hostages, that they might not return home,” she said.
Wiwwaeo lives in rural Udon Thani, north-east Thailand, along with Watchara’s nine-year-old daughter, Irada. They had watched the reports of hostages being released together, she said, adding that Irada and everyone at her school had been happy to see hopeful news.
“Now she is waiting for her father to come back,” Wiwwaeo added. Foreign hostages are due to be released in the second phase of the ceasefire deal, during which Israel is supposed to withdraw completely from Gaza. There are huge questions over whether and how the second phase will go ahead. Negotiations are due to begin in two weeks.
