2 Filipinos killed in Hamas attack on Israel —DFA

Two Filipinos were killed following the attack of Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines "condemns the killing of two (2) 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 to the conflict, in accordance with pertinent UN Security Council Resolutions and the general principles of international law," Manalo said.

A third Filipino fatality, meanwhile, is being confirmed through DNA testing, according to the Philippine Embassy in Israel.

"There are two confirmed [dead] and one for confirmation," Deputy Chief of Mission Anthony Mandap told GMA News Online.

At a Palace press briefing, an official from the Philippine Embassy in Israel said that the victims were killed in kibbutz on the first day of the attack.

Labor Attaché Rudy Gabasan said one of the fatalities was gunned down by the members of the militant group as they tried to open the doors of their residence. The other fatality was supposedly seized by the Hamas group, he added.

"Iyong isa po ay habang pinupuwersa ng militanteng mga terorista iyong kanilang pinto, pagbukas po ng pinto, niratrat po iyong mag-amo, iyong caregiver at saka iyong kaniyang amo," Gabasan said.

(The other fatality, while members of the militant group was forcing to open their door, they were gunned down, the caregiver and her employer.)

"Iyong isa po ay pinatay pero hindi po namin alam kung anong circumstance pero isa po siya doon sa mga natangay ng Hamas sa kasagsagan po ng pananalasa ng mga terorista," he added.

(The other fatality, we didn't know the circumstance, but he was among those captured by the Hamas.)

The family requested not to disclose the identities of the fatalities and the circumstances of their deaths.

Ambassador to Israel Pedro Laylo Jr. said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. would talk to the grieving families of the victims today to send his sympathies.

"Last night in the most difficult phone call of my career, I spoke to the wife of the victims to inform her of this sad news and to convey our sympathies. I promise her that the Embassy will provide all the necessary assistance she needs," Laylo said.

"The President will also speak to her today to convey his personal condolences and offer additional assistance," Laylo added.

The Embassy said the fatalities were a 33-year-old female from Pangasinan, who was working in Israel for six years, and a 42-year-old male from Pampanga.

The DFA earlier reported that six Filipinos remain missing.

Two Filipinos were also injured from the massive attacks and are now recovering, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has said.

Manalo vowed that the Philippine government will continue to provide all possible assistance to distressed Filipinos nationals in Israel and Palestine. 

Israel is home to at least 30,000 workers from the Philippines, most of them caregivers, while 167 Filipinos are in Gaza Strip.

The DFA has already proposed to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to place Gaza Strip, which has been placed under total siege by Israel in response to Hamas' attack, under Alert Level 3.

Alert Level 3 entails voluntary repatriation.

In a statement, Marcos said he was saddened over the death of two Filipinos amid the ongoing conflict in Israel and denounced the violence and terror attacks in the country as he vowed to continue supporting affected Filipinos.

"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.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) earlier said that at the proper time, authorities will repatriate Filipinos in Israel who wish to go back to the Philippines.

As of Tuesday, the DFA said some 38 Filipinos have requested to be repatriated amid the ongoing tension in Israel and Palestine. 

On Saturday, Hamas launched its biggest attack on Israel in years, firing rockets and deploying gunmen to several towns, prompting the Israeli government to issue a state of war alert.

Israel launched retaliatory strikes on Gaza, with the death toll on both sides already in the hundreds and continuing to rise.

World leaders have expressed condemnation on the attacks made by the Palestinian group.

The conflict has already resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people with thousands more wounded.

The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv has been closed due to the conflict, but it may still be reached through its emergency number +972-54-4661188, its assistance to nationals number 050-9114017, and its email address telaviv.pe@dfa.gov.ph.

For their safety, Filipinos have been advised to stay indoors and follow instructions by local authorities. 

The DFA said it is coordinating with Israeli authorities and local contacts to ascertain the condition of the still missing Filipinos.

Philippine diplomats in Tel Aviv are also providing assistance to evacuated Filipinos in hotels where they are housed as well as checking hospitals for possible admitted nationals.

The DFA thanked Israeli security forces for the rescue of the Filipinos caught in the combat areas, as well as to the Israeli emergency services and kibbutz authorities who included Filipino nationals in their evacuation operations.

In the Senate, Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Committee on Foreign Relations, reminded the government to consider the long-term consequences of the policy it will take regarding the conflict.

"Its primary concern should be the safety of nearly 25,000 overseas Filipino workers and the many Filipino tourists and pilgrims now in Israel and of more than two million Filipinos throughout the Middle East and North Africa who may continue earning a living there in years to come," she said in a statement.

Sen. Marcos is the sister of President Marcos, the chief architect of Philippine foreign policy.

Sen. Marcos warned that as a close ally of the United States, the Philippines risks "retaliatory attacks from militant Hamas sympathizers that a protracted war will likely provoke." 

She also mentioned that the Philippines imports its oil supply from the Middle East and the country remains “vulnerable to the winds of geopolitics” despite the recent assurance of six OPEC countries to support market stability.

“Our government has a long, complex, and arduous task ahead. May its foreign policy decisions truly uphold Filipino interests now and in the future, informed by a keen sense of current events and the lessons of history,” she said. —with Michaela del Callar and Hana Bordey/KBK/RSJ, GMA Integrated News