A Bangkok delegation met with Hamas officials in Iran to discuss the fate of 22 Thais held hostage by the group, which said it was waiting for “the right moment” to release them, according to one of the negotiators.

“They assured me that they are being taken care of, but they did not tell me about a specific release date. They are waiting for the right moment,” Aripen Uttarasin told reporters when asked about the meeting held in Tehran between the Thai delegation and Hamas on October 26.

Uttarasin leads a team of three negotiators, who are drawn from Thailand’s large Muslim community. The negotiators were appointed by the speaker of the National Assembly, Wan Muhammad Nur Matha.

“They listened to our concerns because they know that Thailand has shown kindness towards the Muslim community. They respect Thailand,” he assured.

At least 240 hostages are still being held by Hamas after its October 7 attack on Israel. Bangkok has announced that 22 Thai citizens were among the hostages, while 32 others were killed in the Hamas attack.

Thai Prime Minister Shretha Thavisin reiterated that his government is working to free the hostages. The country’s foreign minister traveled this week to Qatar and Egypt for this reason.

Besides Thavisin spoke by phone with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu late last night. “He told me that he is doing his best to provide immediate assistance to the Thai hostages,” the Thai prime minister explained.

About 30,000 Thais were working in Israel, mostly in the agricultural sector, when the war broke out. The kingdom has since organized flights, repatriating more than 7,000 of its citizens.