BANGKOK (Reuters) -Iran facilitated Friday’s release of 10 Thai hostages from Gaza, providing a list of names to Palestinian group Hamas after a request to do so by Thailand’s Foreign Ministry and parliamentary speaker, Iran’s embassy in Thailand said on social media on Saturday.
“This request was accepted by Hamas and 10 Thai hostages were released after the ceasefire,” it said.
A Thai foreign ministry spokesperson told Reuters that: “we have provided lists since the beginning to everyone,” including Qatar, Egypt, Israel and Iran.
“Different actors would have different influence on Hamas,” the spokesperson added.
A group of Thai Muslim politicians had travelled to Tehran and met senior Hamas officials in October.
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara also held talks with senior officials in Cairo and Doha over the release of Thai hostages.
Thailand’s government says that 20 of its nationals are still being held by Hamas.
About 30,000 Thai nationals work in Israel, forming one of its largest groups of migrant workers, many in agriculture.
(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Poppy McphersonEdited by Mark Potter)
