Filipinos among Hamas captives?

Philippines condemns attacks on Israel

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino workers in Israel have reportedly been held captive by Islamist group Hamas following the group’s unprecedented offensive that led to more than 250 people killed and thousands displaced, according to the Associated Press, citing Israeli TV.

The Hamas attack on Oct. 7 is an escalation of years of conflict between Israeli and Palestinian forces, with Israeli settler violence recently displacing hundreds of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since 2022 and tensions flaring around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site.

The Philippine government yesterday condemned the attacks in Israel.

“The Philippines condemns the attacks, especially against civilian populations,” the Office of the President said in a statement.

“(The country) understands the right of states to self-defense in the light of external aggression as recognized in the United Nations Charter,” it added.

Israeli TV earlier reported that workers from the Philippines were captured, but Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss maintained that they have not received a verified report that Filipinos are being held hostage.

“We know the (Thailand) nationals involved but we are not aware of Philippine nationals,” Fluss said in an online briefing yesterday.

In an interview with One News, Filipino community in Israel leader Marc Pleños yesterday said that Hamas captured a Filipino caregiver in Kibbutz Be’eri.

No Filipinos have been reported killed or injured in the Hamas attack, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Most Filipinos in Israel are domestic workers or caregivers working in Tel Aviv and Haifa, 70 kilometers away from the Gaza Strip where Hamas attacked nearby Israeli towns during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, DFA Undersecretary for migrant affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega told radio dzBB yesterday.

Department of Migrant Workers officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac noted that they have accounted for 20 Filipino caregivers staying near the Gaza Strip, with a few Filipinos married to Palestinians residing in Gaza. Some are staying in shelters with their employers.

There are around 35,000 Filipinos in Israel, most of them residing in apartments with bomb shelters, according to recruitment consultant Manny Geslani.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the government is closely coordinating with the Philippine embassy in Tel Aviv and the Migrant Workers Office in Israel to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipinos affected by the ongoing conflict.

“The President has instructed DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to locate and account for all OFWs and their families in Israel,” the PCO, the government’s lead communication arm, said in a separate statement.

The DMW has opened a hotline and Viber and WhatsApp hotline numbers that would accept calls and queries from OFWs and the Filipino community who need government assistance, the PCO said.

In a report, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said Hamas launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” last Saturday at 6:30 a.m., with more than 5,000 rockets reportedly fired toward Israel from multiple locations in Gaza.

Israeli officials responded by declaring a state of war and calling up military reservists.

At noon, Israeli troops launched operation “Iron Sword,” with strikes on Gaza by air, land and sea, the relief agency reported.

According to UNRWA, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that 232 people had been killed and 1,697 had been injured in the conflict.

At least 20,363 internally displaced people were sheltering in 44 UNRWA schools in all areas in Gaza, except Khan Younis, 28 of which are designated emergency shelters, the relief agency added.

Condemnation

The House of Representatives also condemned the attack, expressing fears that OFWs may be in danger.

“I align myself with the sentiments of global leaders and advocates for peace, emphasizing that dialogue and understanding are paramount. True change can only be achieved when we respect and protect the rights of civilians, as stipulated under international law,” said Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the government should ensure the safety of OFWs in Israel.

“(I call) upon the DMW, the DFA and other Philippine government agencies to secure our overseas Filipinos and ensure safe passage if necessary. We urge the full utilization of the Assistance to Nationals Fund for this purpose,” Zubiri said.

Rep. Eddie Villanueva condemned the “unprovoked attack on Israel,” and called on the government to issue a statement over the “inhumane and barbaric act of violence against Israel.”

Ambassador Fluss called on the international community and the Philippines to support Israel.

“We continue taking care of them (Filipinos). They are part of the Israeli society and we are looking at them as any other Israeli citizen,” he said during yesterday’s online briefing. — Delon Porcalla, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Mayen Jaymalin, Pia Lee-Brago, Rudy Santos