When the mother of one of the Thai hostages held in the Gaza Strip for over a year caught sight of her son on a Facebook livestream after his release Thursday, he had changed so much that she didn’t recognize him at first.

The horrific suffering of five Thai farm workers held by Palestinian Hamas militants ended with an emotional exchange on Thursday, alongside three released Israeli hostages, after intense diplomatic efforts that at times frayed relations between Bangkok and Jerusalem.

Follow NBC News live updates for the latest coverage of the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.