Thai death toll in Israel-Gaza conflict hits 24, says PM Srettha

BANGKOK (AFP): Three more Thai nationals have died in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, bringing the death toll to 24, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said Saturday.

"I have been informed that there are three more people who died, making it a total of 24," Srettha told reporters.

Two additional Thai nationals have been wounded, the Thai foreign ministry said, bringing the total to 16.

About 30,000 Thais are working in Israel, mostly in the agriculture sector, according to the kingdom's labour ministry.

Thousands of Palestinians have fled to southern Gaza seeking refuge after Israel warned them to evacuate before an expected ground offensive against Hamas in retaliation for the deadliest attack in Israel's history.

Last Saturday, hundreds of Hamas gunmen stormed across the border from Gaza into Israel and killed more than 1,300 people, most of them civilians.

At least 1,900 Gazans -- most of them civilians and including more than 600 children -- have been killed in missile strikes on the densely populated enclave, the health ministry said.

Hamas took about 150 Israeli, foreign and dual national hostages back to Gaza in the initial attack, Israel has said.

Fears are held over the fate of 16 Thai hostages.

Kanyarat Suriyasri, the wife of a hostage, urged the Thai government to do everything to bring her husband home safely.

"I just want my husband back. I just want to hug him," she told AFP, in Si Sa Ket province in the country's northeast.

Diplomats are working to bring home 7,000 Thai workers and the kingdom's national and low cost airlines have signed up to help.

There were emotional scenes at a Bangkok airport on Thursday as the first group of evacuees, many of them wounded, were reunited with their families.

Nearly 100 Thais have returned from Israel with a third repatriation flight carrying 100 more due to land in Thailand on Sunday. - AFP