50 days in Hamas captivity

When Thai farm laborer Anucha Angkaew scrambled out of the bunker where he had been sheltering from rockets on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip around 7.30 am on Oct. 7, he expected to see Israeli soldiers.

Instead, Anucha and his five Thai colleagues were accosted by 10 armed militants, whom he identified as Hamas by the Palestine flags on their sleeves.

"We shouted 'Thailand, Thailand'," said Anucha, a soft-spoken 28-year-old with a wispy goatee. "But they didn't care."

Two of the six Thais were killed soon after, including a friend who Anucha said was shot dead in front of him in a random act of violence. The rest were forced on to a truck for a roughly 30 minute ride into Gaza.

Few of the freed hostages have spoken at length about their ordeal, though others who have since been released also described beatings and death threats.

Hamas officials did not immediately respond to a written request for comment on Anucha's account.