3 remain missing; 70 seeking repatriation
TWO Filipinos have been killed in the conflict between Israeli forces and the militant Hamas group while the identify of a possible third Filipino fatality is being verified, officials said yesterday.
Three other Filipinos remained missing.
President Marcos Jr. said government will not stop sending support to Filipinos affected by the conflict that started on Saturday and has so far left at least 2,200 dead.
“My heart is heavy upon hearing confirmation of the deaths of two Filipinos in Israel. The Philippines condemns these killings and stands firmly against the ongoing terror and violence,” the President said.
Ambassador to Israel Pedro “Junie” Laylo Jr., in an online briefing in Malacañang, said Israel authorities have confirmed the two deaths and the Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv has relayed the news to the victims’ families.
“Two of our kababayan were killed following the violent attacks of Hamas in southern Israel. These have been confirmed by Israeli authorities. Last night … I spoke to the wife of one of the victims to inform her of this sad news and to convey our sympathies. I promised her that the embassy will provide all the necessary assistance she needs,” Laylo said.
He said the President would personally talk to the families of the two victims to personally convey his condolences and offer additional assistance.
Embassy Welfare Officer Dina Ponciano, in the same online briefing, said the embassy has received requests for assistance for the repatriation of the bodies and is coordinating with concerned authorities on the retrieval.
Laylo declined to disclose the identities of the two deceased following the request of their families.
Vice Consul Patricia Narajos described one of the victims as a 33-year-old female from Pangasinan, who had been working for six years in Israel while the other one was a 42-year-old male from Pampanga.
Labor attaché Rudy Gabasan said based on information they have received, one of the fatalities was a caregiver who was killed with the employer when the Hamas tried to force their way into their home, while the other one was among civilians used as human shields by the militants during their escape.
Narajos said authorities are verifying the identity of a possible third Filipino fatality using DNA tests.
On the three missing, she said the Philippine government, with the help of Israeli forces, are locating them.
On two Filipinos who were hurt and hospitalized, one has been treated and discharged after suffering from smoke inhalation while the other is recuperating from surgery for a gunshot wound.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said the “Philippines condemns the killing of two Filipino nationals and all other acts of terrorism and violence as a result of Hamas actions against Israel.”
“The Philippines is ready to work with other countries towards a long-lasting resolution of the conflict, in accordance with pertinent UN Security Council resolutions and the general principles of international law,” Manalo added.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said in a radio interview the two fatalities are among the seven Filipinos earlier reported missing. On Tuesday night, the embassy in Tel Aviv said one of the seven has been found in a safe area.
De Vega and Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos said the number of Filipinos from Gaza requesting repatriation to Manila has increased to 70 from 38 due to fears of an Israeli ground invasion.
On Tuesday, De Vega said the government is working on the repatriation of Filipinos in Gaza “diplomatically” because the Philippines cannot simply hire or charter an airplane as there are no flights to and from Gaza.
He added that the normal way out of Gaza is through the border of Israel, “which is obviously closed” at this time.
Israel has blockaded Gaza since 2007 when the Hamas seized power from the Palestinian Authority in a violent takeover.
There are 137 Filipinos in the Gaza Strip, mostly married to Palestinian nationals.
De Vega said the DFA and the embassy in Tel Aviv has yet to receive any request for repatriation from the 30,500 Filipinos living and working in Israel.
Majority of the 30,500 are in Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv, away from the southern communities where Hamas gunmen rampaged for hours on Saturday.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said it has readied two of its transport aircraft for the possible repatriation.
PAF spokeswoman Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo said a C-130 and C-295 aircraft will depart once an order is issued by higher headquarters. The two planes can transport over a hundred Filipinos from the conflict area.
Armed Forces spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said the Adana Airport in Turkey has been identified as a temporary safe haven for Filipinos who will be evacuated in case hostilities escalate.
“From there, we will be shuttling Filipinos who are affected by the conflict… but all of these will only be executed based on the recommendation or the instruction coming from other government authorities,” he said.
NO MANDATORY REPATRIATION
Laylo said despite the death of the two Filipinos, the embassy is not recommending a mandatory evacuation and repatriation as the situation in most parts of Israel has improved and is returning to normal.
“We continue to work closely with Israeli authorities and local contacts to find the three Filipinos who are still missing. Despite sporadic rocket attacks and the distressing images you see in the news and on social media, these depict only certain areas in Israel particularly in areas surrounding the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has retaken control of the communities infiltrated by Hamas militants. Rocket attacks have considerably lessened except in southern Israel. People can move freely in areas far from the combat zone and we have returned to work here at the embassy since Sunday,” he said.
De Vega said the embassy in Tel-Aviv is not issuing a mandatory repatriation or recommending raising the alert to Level 4 because the rule of law and peace order prevail in Israel. Alert Level 4 means there is a breakdown in order and “practically full-scale war.”
De Vega said Israel is now under Alert Level 2 which means “restricted deployment” of new workers.
“We’re not going to deploy new workers which is actually status quo anyway because we still have to negotiate… about caregivers, and about the hotel workers, is by a G2G (government to government) agreement and right now there is no deployment,” he said.
The Philippines and Israel are negotiating for the hiring of Filipino caregivers. — With Ashzel Hachero and Victor Reyes
