Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met today (Tuesday) with Thailand's Foreign Minister, Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, who came on a solidarity visit to Israel. The two visited the Shamir Medical Center together with Minister of Health Uriel Buso, and met with the 17 Thai citizens who were released in recent days from Gaza after being kidnapped by Hamas.
During the meeting, Cohen expressed his condolences to the Thai people for the 39 Thai citizens who were murdered in the October 7 massacre, and expressed hope that the rest of the Thai abductees will be released soon, safe and sound. According to estimates, about 15 abducted Thais remain in Gaza now.
"Israel is committed to the return of all abductees, Israelis and foreigners alike," Cohen said at the end of the meeting. "I promised my friend, the foreign minister of Thailand, that we will help all those affected to recover healthily and mentally. Helping the Thai foreign workers, who for some farmers are family, is not a gesture on our part, but we consider it our duty."
He also pledged that "we will continue to work to bring about the release of all the abductees from the hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, which still holds women, children and elders. I thank the Foreign Minister of Thailand for standing firmly by Israel's side since the outbreak of the war. Between Israel and Thailand there has been true friendship for many years and the horrific terrorist attack against Israel tied the fate of the two countries in another and difficult way."