Thai Farm Labourer Recounts Ordeal as Hostage in Gaza Strip

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Thai Farm Labourer Recounts Ordeal as Hostage in Gaza Strip

DON PILA, Thailand, Dec 7 (Reuters) – Anucha Angkaew, a 28-year-old Thai farm labourer, recently shared his harrowing experience as a hostage in the Gaza Strip. On October 7, Anucha and his five Thai colleagues were taken captive by ten armed militants, whom he identified as Hamas by the Palestine flags on their sleeves.

Anucha and his colleagues were expecting to see Israeli soldiers when they emerged from their bunker where they had been seeking shelter from rockets on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip. Instead, they were accosted by the militants who did not heed their pleas of being from Thailand.

Tragically, two of the six Thais were killed soon after their capture, including a friend of Anucha who was shot dead right in front of him in a random act of violence. The remaining hostages were forced onto a truck and transported to Gaza, enduring a terrifying 30-minute ride.

Anucha’s firsthand account provides a glimpse into the horrors that many hostages endured during their captivity. He described sleeping on a sandy floor and enduring beatings by their Hamas captors, who particularly targeted the Israelis for especially brutal treatment.

To maintain their spirits, the four Thai men relied on playing chess on a makeshift board, reminiscing about their families, and longing for Thai food. While few freed hostages have spoken extensively about their ordeal, others who have been released have also described beatings and death threats.

Hamas officials have not yet responded to Anucha’s account.

“I thought I would die,” Anucha said at his family home in rural northeastern Thailand, where he returned earlier this month after spending 50 days in captivity. The majority of his time was spent inside two small underground rooms that were guarded and accessed by dark narrow tunnels.

On October 7, at least 240 people, including Israelis and foreign nationals, were abducted by Hamas militants who breached the border and killed approximately 1,200 people. Over 100 hostages, mostly women, children, and non-Israelis, have since been released.

In retaliation for the October 7 attack, Israel launched a devastating bombing campaign and ground offensive that has resulted in the deaths of over 15,000 people, according to figures from Palestinian health officials recognized as reliable by the United Nations.

Currently, 130 people, including eight Thais, remain in captivity. Prior to the conflict, around 30,000 Thai laborers worked in Israel’s agriculture sector, making them one of the largest migrant worker groups in the country. Thai-Israeli relations have been friendly, with Thailand recognizing Palestine as a sovereign state in 2012.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has referred to the deceased Thai hostages as “heroes” and has stated that the released captives will receive the same benefits as their Israeli counterparts.

Anucha and his colleagues were handed over to a small group of men in Gaza who took them to an abandoned house and tied their hands behind their backs. They were then joined by an 18-year-old Israeli, whom Anucha knew from Kibbutz Re’im where they both worked on an avocado farm.

The beatings began shortly after their arrival, with their captors punching and kicking them. Anucha stated that shouting “Thailand, Thailand” helped ease the intensity of the blows, but the young Israeli was not spared.

After an hour, all five hostages were transferred to another truck and driven for approximately 30 minutes to a small building that led to a tunnel. Near the tunnel entrance, they were beaten again and photographed before being led through a dark, narrow passage to a small room.

In this windowless space, measuring around 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters and lit by a single bulb, the five hostages were joined by another Israeli man. The militants continued to kick and punch the captives for two days, followed by two more days of beatings specifically targeting the Israelis, who were whipped using electrical wires.

Although Anucha did not sustain serious injuries, marks from the restraints could still be seen on his wrist weeks after his release.

The hostages slept on the bare sandy floor and were provided with two meals of flatbread each day. They shared only two bottles of water, which were replenished daily. Their toilet was a hole in the ground located near the room, and they were escorted there by one of the eight guards armed with assault weapons resembling AK-47s. The guards instructed them not to talk amongst themselves.

“I felt hopeless,” Anucha said.

Initially, Anucha counted down the days based on the number of meals they received. After four days, they were moved to another room. During the walk, Anucha noticed that the tunnel was lined with metal doors and was illuminated by flashlights carried by their captors.

Their new room was more spacious, with plastic sheets for them to sleep on and three light bulbs to illuminate the space. An alcove served as their toilet. The beatings stopped, and the quality of the food improved, eventually including nuts, butter, and rice.

Using meals as a measurement of time, Anucha began scratching marks on the floor to keep track of the number of days they had been in captivity. However, this changed when a guard brought in some papers for them to sign. As the guards only spoke Arabic, the Israelis helped interpret for Anucha, who has rudimentary knowledge of Hebrew. The guard accidentally left behind a white ballpoint pen, which they used to mark time, draw tattoos on themselves, and sketch a chessboard on the plastic sheet. Chess pieces were crafted from a pink-and-green toothpaste box.

Another distraction for Anucha and his fellow captives was discussions about food. Anucha often dreamt and spoke about soi ju, a Thai delicacy consisting of pieces of raw beef dipped in spicy sauce. “Food was a source of hope,” he said, smiling.

Weeks passed, and Anucha had no knowledge of the Israeli raids and bombings taking place aboveground. He frequently thought of his home, his father, his seven-year-old daughter, and his partner of 14 years.

On Day 35, a senior Hamas leader arrived for a brief inspection, evident from his demeanor and the respectful behavior of the guards. After the inspection, their routine resumed. However, one day, a guard arrived after their first meal and announced, “Thailand, go home.”

The four Thai hostages were led through tunnels for approximately two hours and arrived at a Hamas facility where a few female Israeli hostages were also waiting. After 11 hours, they were handed over to the Red Cross, which transported them out of Gaza on November 25.

“I didn’t think I would get released,” Anucha said. “It was like I was reborn.”

However, the hardest part for him was witnessing the loss of his friend right before his eyes on October 7.

Additional reporting by Artorn Pookasook; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Katerina Ang.