IDF reservist freed after eight months in Thai detention

An Israel Defense Forces reservist was released from detention in Thailand after spending eight months in custody following his arrest during his honeymoon, the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem said on Saturday.

The reservist and his wife, who is also an IDF officer, traveled to the Thai island of Phuket in November for a weeklong honeymoon after serving hundreds of days in reserve duty, Ynet reported.

Before departing Israel, A. borrowed a travel bag from a fellow reservist, unaware that a loaded magazine that had been left inside. The bullets were not detected during security screening at Ben-Gurion International Airport but were discovered by Thai authorities upon the couple’s arrival.

ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו שוחח היום עם לוחם המילואים א׳ ומשפחתו לאחר ששוחרר במאמצים גדולים ממעצרו הממושך (8 חודשים) במהלך ירח הדבש שלו ושל רעייתו מ׳ בתאילנד.ראש הממשלה בירך את בני הזוג עם שובם ארצה, הודה להם על שירות המילואים הממושך שביצעו ואמר שמדינת ישראל פעלה ותפעל תמיד למען… pic.twitter.com/sNBiSSsIt3

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke yesterday (Friday) with reservist fighter A. and his family following his release from prolonged detention during his honeymoon in Thailand with his wife M.,” the PMO said in a statement.

Netanyahu congratulated the couple on their return to Israel, thanked them for their service and said the government would continue working on behalf of its citizens around the world.

The prime minister also praised Gal Hirsch, his coordinator for hostages and missing persons, for leading efforts to secure the soldier’s release, and thanked President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and security officials involved in the case.

The couple and their family thanked the premier for helping secure A.'s release.

“Thank you for doing everything possible to bring us back. It is heartwarming. Thank you for not leaving us behind,” they told Netanyahu, according to the PMO.

A. had been sentenced to 18 months in prison on weapons charges, according to Ynet. Following intervention by Israeli authorities, he was transferred to house arrest under electronic monitoring while his appeal was pending.

After the appeal stretched on for months, Netanyahu directed Hirsch to become personally involved and use his contacts in Thailand to help secure the reservist’s release.

Hirsch developed those contacts while helping secure the release of dozens of Thai nationals taken hostage during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Ynet reported.

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