Hamas Secures Release of 11 Southeast Asian Nationals in Qatar Deal

Hamas has released 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino citizen who were being held captive in Gaza, as part of a separate agreement mediated by Qatar and Egypt. The release was not part of the truce deal between Hamas and Israel, which saw the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The Thai nationals are currently being transported out of Gaza with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Thailand's Prime Minister confirmed the release of 12 nationals and expressed gratitude to Qatar, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Malaysia, and the ICRC. The release comes after weeks of negotiations led by Qatar to secure the freedom of civilian hostages in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.