More than Half of Hamas Hostages Hold Foreign Citizenship

Out of the 222 individuals held hostage by Hamas, 138 possess foreign citizenship, according to a report by Ynet, citing the Israeli government.

According to Israeli authorities, among those taken hostage by Hamas militants on October 7 are 12 Americans, 54 Thais, 15 Argentinians, 12 Germans, 12 Americans (again noted), 6 French, and 6 Russians. The largest group of foreign hostages comes from Thailand, totaling 54 individuals.

Among the hostages are two citizens from Tanzania and the Philippines, as well as one citizen each from China and Sri Lanka. Thai nationals also represent the largest group of deceased and missing foreigners, with 24 confirmed dead and 21 missing.

According to government data, Thailand has the largest number of migrant workers arriving in Israel, with around 30,000 individuals employed in the agricultural sector.

As a whole, Hamas is currently holding 222 individuals hostage, having released two elderly Israelis earlier this week, as well as two American women residing in Israel on October 20.