Hamas official Hisham Qasem spouted a new propaganda talking point for the terrorist group this week, claiming that Hamas terrorists had kidnapped Thai nationals “for their own protection” during their October 7 attack on Israel.
Qasem’s remarks come after Hamas terrorists murdered 39 Thai nationals during their attack and took an unknown number hostage.
Qasem falsely claimed that the hostages were only “detainees” and that Israel was “shelling” houses located in the kibbutzes.
“[Turkey and Hamas] discussed the release of some of the [Thai] detainees,” he said. “As we said at the beginning of the October 7 operation, these [Thai nationals] were detained for their own protection, because on October 7, the forces of the Zionist army was shelling the houses with people inside – whether members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, [foreign] laborers, or even the Zionist inhabitants of those settlements.”
The Associated Press reported last week that Hamas freed 10 Thai nationals as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel as Israel seeks to gain the release of as many innocent civilians as possible.
“Thais were the single biggest group of foreigners taken hostage when Hamas took some 240 people during its Oct. 7 surprise attack on southern Israel,” the AP said. “Thais working in Israel are mostly employed as semi-skilled farm laborers, at wages considerably higher than those at they can earn at home.”
Four of the Thai nationals who were released were not known by officials to have been taken hostage by Hamas — and officials believe at least 20 more Thai nationals remain hostage.
WATCH:
Hamas Official Hisham Qasem Explains the Abduction of Thai Nationals to Gaza: We Detained Them for Their Own Safety Due to the Indiscriminate Israeli Shelling of the Area #Hamas #Gaza #Palestinians #Thailand #hostages pic.twitter.com/RwntylJev0
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) November 27, 2023