Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 8) — A Filipino Community (FilCom) leader in Israel has received reports from Pinoys about their missing relatives amid a major escalation of the long-running Israel-Palestine conflict.
In an interview on CNN Philippines’ Newsroom Weekend on Sunday, Marc Pleños, a FilCom leader based in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, said these Filipinos fear that their loved ones have been held captive by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
\”May mga tumatawag sa ‘kin. Isa po yung asawa nung na-hostage. Kinumpira niya na kabilang yung asawa niya sa na-hostage at dinala sa Gaza, pero wala pa naman confirmation sa Israeli Army,\” said Pleños, who is a Filipino caregiver in the Middle Eastern country.
[Translation: There are people calling me. One wife said his husband was taken hostage. She confirmed that his husband was among those who were taken hostage and taken to Gaza, but there is no confirmation yet from the Israeli Army.]
Pleños said that the woman recognized her Filipino husband in a video allegedly shared on social media by Hamas.
\”Meron pa pong tumatawag, nagme-message yung kapatid niya hindi pa nakikita hanggang ngayon,\” he said. \”Meron pong unconfirmed (taken hostage) kasi hindi sila ma-contact.\”
[Translation: There was one who called and sent messages about a sibling who has yet to be seen. There were unconfirmed (if they were taken hostage) because they cannot be contacted.]
The FilCom leader, however, stressed that these claims have not yet been verified by Israeli authorities.
Visegrad 24, a news aggregator, tweeted Saturday morning that Hamas had kidnapped some Thai and Filipino workers and uploaded a photo of several individuals held at gunpoint.
Meanwhile, the Philippine government has yet to confirm all reports on Filipino victims in the ongoing conflict.
READ: PH condemns surprise attack on Israel
Hamas fired rockets from Gaza and sent gunmen into Israeli territory, prompting Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare that the country is “at war.”
The Saturday attack which took place during Simchat Torah, a peaceful celebration of the Jewish people, has left hundreds dead on both sides.
Unprecedented escalation
Pleños, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Israel for nearly 18 years, described the recent escalation in the long-running Israel-Palestine conflict as unprecedented.
\”Sa 17 years, almost 18 years, kakaiba ngayon kasi pumasok dito mismo yung mga terrorist sa loob ng Israel,\” he said. \”Maraming na-control nila. May ibang lugar dito na nandoon pa yung Hamas, hindi pa cleared ng Israeli forces.\”
[Translation: For 17 years, almost 18 years, this is different because because the terrorists entered Israel. They controlled a lot. There are other places still controlled by Hamas and have not yet been cleared by Israeli forces.
Donna Ramirez, a Filipino who lives in southern Tel-Aviv but works as a caregiver in Modi’in, recounted to CNN Philippines her experience amid the attack. Currently taking shelter at her employer’s Modi’in home, a city 35 kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv, she reported hearing a large number of explosions on Saturday, the day of the attack.
She said she has no plans of returning to the Philippines as she is safe at her employer’s home. But she is worried about her brother, a caregiver who works in Kfar Saba and lives in southern Tel Aviv.
\”Sabi niya kagabi tahimik naman wala nang alarm. Natakot din siya nung may rocket na sumabog sa may southern Tel Aviv pero malayo naman sa apartment namin,\” she said, describing her brother’s situation. \”Malakas daw talaga ang pagsabog halos nanginig ang building. Ako ang nag-panic para sa kanya kaya tawag agad ako pagkabalita sa news.\”
[Translation: He said it was quiet last night, no alarm was raised. He got scared when a rocket exploded in southern Tel Aviv, but it was far from our apartment. He said the explosion was very strong and the building was almost shaking. I panicked for him so I tried to call right away when I heard the news.]
\”Wala naman akong magawa kundi maghanap ng shelter na sana pwede niyang puntahan. Pero sa Tel Aviv pala nalaman ko’ng iiwan lang ang bomb shelter for public. Nakakatakot naman lumabas ng apartment kaya nag-decide kapatid ko na manatili na lang sa apartment.\”
[Translation: I couldn’t do anything except to look for a shelter that he could go to. But we found out that the bomb shelters in Tel-Aviv are kept open for the public. It was frightening to leave the apartment so he decided to stay.]
Meanwhile, Ramirez lamented that there has been little reporting on the situation of foreign workers in Israel.
The Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has created a 24/7 Task Force for OFWs and their families in Israel. It can be reached through these numbers:
Hotline: +63 2 1348
