BANGKOK, October 20. /TASS/. Hamas cannot release the people it is keeping hostage because of Israeli bombardments of the Gaza Strip, Iranian Ambassador to Thailand Seyed Reza Nobakhti said on Friday.

"The problem is that they cannot send them back from Gaza because when they attempt to do that, the airstrikes begin," the Thai Enquirer quoted him as saying.

According to the Iranian diplomat, during their meeting in Qatar Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian asked Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to release Thai and Filipino hostages and the latter accepted this request.

"Now, it is time for the Thai government and people all around the world to call on the Israeli authorities to stop the genocide in Palestine so that the hostages can return home safely," he added.

According to the Israeli military, as many as 203 people have been confirmed to be hostages of Hamas. At least two of the hostages are Russian nationals.