Far from the conflict in the Middle East, a church in northeastern&nbsp;Thailand fills with voices of blessing, chants rising on the eve of the war's anniversary. Amid these prayers, the Sriaoun family—one of six&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;families with loved ones believed to remain held in Gaza—gathers under the shadow of war.

Watchara Sriaoun is one of six&nbsp;Thais believed to be held captive by Hamas since the war began on October 7, 2023, according to a statement from the&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;Foreign Ministry in September. Since then, the Sriaoun family, along with the church community, has prayed every week, hoping for the return of their son.

“We can only pray to God,” said Wiwwaro Sriaoun, the mother of the remaining&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;hostage, as she waited endlessly, caught between hope and fear, uncertain whether her son was alive or gone.

“Asking people doesn’t give us answers, and even the village chief or headman cannot confirm anything,” she added.

Before the war, Watchara and his younger brother went to Israel in 2020, hoping to clear the family debt and earn money for their father's medical expenses. Together, they sent 50,000&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;Baht (1,500 USD) home each month to help pay off a debt of 300,000&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;Baht (9,000 USD) and renovate the house.

Since Watchara's capture, the family has faced financial hardship, with his younger brother returning home at their mother's request, afraid of losing another son. This has meant the Sriaoun family has had to work harder, relying on income from farming, rice cultivation, and rubber tapping, especially since Watchara's father's condition worsened after the war began.

Wiwwaro said that whenever she feels tired, she recalls her son's voice to keep her strong. “He told me, 'Mother, as long as I’m not dead, you don’t have to worry. I will provide everything for you.'”

“The debt I haven't yet paid off, I will do my best to repay. I won’t let myself struggle, and I won’t let my parents suffer, as long as I have the strength,” she added, recalling Watchara’s words from his time in Israel.

However, with part of the 3,000,000&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;Baht (approximately 90,000 USD) compensation received in July 2024 from the Israeli government for Watchara's capture, the family was able to pay off their debt and purchase the land that Watchara had promised to buy for his mother.

“Everyone still has hope that one day you will be standing here,” said Wiwwaro as she stood on the land that Watchara had promised to buy for her, hoping he would build a new house there to live with his daughter.

"I wish for this brutal war to end," Wiwwaro told Reuters. “Everyone has suffered enough, and I have suffered enough too, waiting for my son,” she said, tears welling in her eyes as she endured the uncertainty.

Wiwwaro has held onto her courage for the sake of her family, especially 9-year-old Irada Sriaoun, Watchara’s daughter, who lost her mother—Watchara's ex-wife—in August 2024.

Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, held discussions with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian regarding efforts to negotiate the release of&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;hostages. During their talks, she requested additional support for the release of the remaining six&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;hostages on Thursday (October 3).

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Far from the conflict in the Middle East, a church in northeastern Thailand fills with voices of blessing, chants rising on the eve of the war's anniversary. Amid these prayers, the Sriaoun family—one of six Thai families with loved ones believed to remain held in Gaza—gathers under the shadow of war.

Far from the conflict in the Middle East, a church in northeastern Thailand fills with voices of blessing, chants rising on the eve of the war's anniversary. Amid these prayers, the Sriaoun family—one of six Thai families with loved ones believed to remain held in Gaza—gathers under the shadow of war. Watchara Sriaoun is one of six Thais believed to be held captive by Hamas since the war began on October 7, 2023, according to a statement from the Thai Foreign Ministry in September. Since then, the Sriaoun family, along with the church community, has prayed every week, hoping for the return of their son. “We can only pray to God,” said Wiwwaro Sriaoun, the mother of the remaining Thai hostage, as she waited endlessly, caught between hope and fear, uncertain whether her son was alive or gone. “Asking people doesn’t give us answers, and even the village chief or headman cannot confirm anything,” she added. Before the war, Watchara and his younger brother went to Israel in 2020, hoping to clear the family debt and earn money for their father's medical expenses. Together, they sent 50,000 Thai Baht (1,500 USD) home each month to help pay off a debt of 300,000 Thai Baht (9,000 USD) and renovate the house. Since Watchara's capture, the family has faced financial hardship, with his younger brother returning home at their mother's request, afraid of losing another son. This has meant the Sriaoun family has had to work harder, relying on income from farming, rice cultivation, and rubber tapping, especially since Watchara's father's condition worsened after the war began. Wiwwaro said that whenever she feels tired, she recalls her son's voice to keep her strong. “He told me, 'Mother, as long as I’m not dead, you don’t have to worry. I will provide everything for you.'” “The debt I haven't yet paid off, I will do my best to repay. I won’t let myself struggle, and I won’t let my parents suffer, as long as I have the strength,” she added, recalling Watchara’s words from his time in Israel. However, with part of the 3,000,000 Thai Baht (approximately 90,000 USD) compensation received in July 2024 from the Israeli government for Watchara's capture, the family was able to pay off their debt and purchase the land that Watchara had promised to buy for his mother. “Everyone still has hope that one day you will be standing here,” said Wiwwaro as she stood on the land that Watchara had promised to buy for her, hoping he would build a new house there to live with his daughter. "I wish for this brutal war to end," Wiwwaro told Reuters. “Everyone has suffered enough, and I have suffered enough too, waiting for my son,” she said, tears welling in her eyes as she endured the uncertainty. Wiwwaro has held onto her courage for the sake of her family, especially 9-year-old Irada Sriaoun, Watchara’s daughter, who lost her mother—Watchara's ex-wife—in August 2024. Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, held discussions with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian regarding efforts to negotiate the release of Thai hostages. During their talks, she requested additional support for the release of the remaining six Thai hostages on Thursday (October 3). Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Gaza war: We can only pray to God, says mother of Thai hostage

On Monday (Oct 7), Israel marked the first anniversary of the Gaza war. The war in Gaza was triggered when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked southern Israel (on October 7 last year), killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

On Monday (Oct 7), Israel marked the first anniversary of the Gaza war. The war in Gaza was triggered when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked southern Israel (on October 7 last year), killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. More than 100 hostages remain held by Hamas. Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. On Monday, the armed wing of Hamas claimed that it fired rockets into southern Israel. Later in the day, the Palestinian militant group said that it fired a barrage of rockets targeting Tel Aviv. Also read | One year of Hamas terror attack: What happened on October 7 and how Israel responded to deadly attacks The first anniversary of the war came as Israel is engaged in a conflict with Iran-aligned Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and is preparing to retaliate against Iran's massive missile attack last week. Here's a look at the latest updates from the first anniversary of the Gaza war: > Hamas' armed wing Ezzedine Al-Qassam said that it "struck deep into the occupation's territory, targeting the city of Tel Aviv with a barrage of M90 missiles as part of the ongoing war of attrition." > Hamas' ally Hezbollah has vowed to keep up the fight against Israeli “aggression.” Hezbollah called Israel a “cancerous gland that must be eliminated, no matter how long it takes.” > Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Monday said the world "must support Israel" to bring peace, as the country marked the first anniversary of the war. "The world has to realise and understand that in order to change the course of history and bring peace, a better future to the region, it must support Israel in its battle against its enemies," Herzog said in a statement. > An Israeli campaign group on Monday announced the death of a hostage held in Gaza. According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Idan Shtivi, 28, was abducted from the site of the Nova festival and his "body is still held captive by Hamas." > Earlier in the day, thousands of Israelis converged on the Nova Music Festival location to commemorate the first anniversary of the Hamas attack. More than 300 people were killed and 44 were abducted when Hamas attacked the festival in 2023. > The playback of the last track of the Nova party followed by a minute of silence was observed before the memorial was commemorated with prayers and song. Also watch | New details emerge on Mossad's pager and walkie-talkie operations × > The Israeli military said it had also prevented an "immediate threat" from Hamas' intentions to fire rockets. > "The IAF (air force) struck Hamas launch posts and underground terrorist infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip," the military said. "Furthermore, overnight, the IAF and IDF (Israeli army) artillery struck targets in the central Gaza Strip that posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area," it added. > The first anniversary of the Gaza war was also commemorated in other countries. In France, President Emmanuel Macron paid tributes to the victims of the October 7 attack in Israel. > In Australia, people gathered for vigils to mark the first anniversary of the conflict. At Sydney's famed Bondi Beach, participants holding Israeli and Australian flags listened in silence to a reading of the names of Israel's 101 hostages still held by Hamas. (With inputs from agencies)

First anniversary of Gaza war: Hamas fires rocket barrage targeting Israel's Tel Aviv- Top updates

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Gaza war: We can only pray to God, says mother of Thai hostage

First anniversary of Gaza war: Hamas fires rocket barrage targeting Israel's Tel Aviv- Top updates