Thai politician Areepen says he held direct talks with Hamas on Thai hostages

Veteran Thai politician Areepen Uttarasin said on Friday he had conducted backchannel talks with officials from Hamas in Iran last week, seeking the safe release of Thai hostages held by the Palestinian group in Gaza.

The in-person talks in the Iranian capital on Oct. 26 lasted two hours, where the Hamas officials said that Thai hostages were safe and well-looked after, Areepen said. He declined to name the Hamas officials he said he had met with.