MANILA – Israel on Tuesday paid tribute to the Filipino nationals killed in the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack as it marked its third anniversary this year.
The Israel Embassy in Manila led a candle-lighting ceremony in Taguig City and opened a photo exhibit featuring the victims of the attack along with the survivors and their families.
About 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 assault, including four Filipinos: Paul Vincent Castelvi, Loreta Alacre, Angelyn Aguirre and Grace Cabrera.
The continuing hostilities between Hamas and Israel have since claimed the lives of four other Filipinos, including Mary Ann de Vera, Lucille Jean Gershovich, Leah Mosquera and Cydrick Garin.
“We will be standing together in times of sorrow, in hugging those eight families, and God willing, in times of many celebrations and times of peace in Israel,” Israel Ambassador Dana Kursh said in a post-ceremony press conference.
The envoy said Israel will sustain its support to the families in collaboration with relevant Filipino agencies such as the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Camille Jesalva, the Filipina caregiver known for saving her elderly ward after offering her entire savings to Hamas militants, shared how the Oct. 7 raid has left a lasting impact on the lives of Filipinos who experienced it firsthand.
“Yung Oct. 7 po talaga is nagbago ang lahat sa amin. At ngayon po, unti-unti na po kaming nagmo-move forward, yung mga namatayan, yung mga na-hostage, at mga survivor (The Oct. 7 event made a lasting impact on all of us. Today, we are slowly moving forward — the bereaved, those held hostage and survivors),” she said.
She then thanked the Israeli and Philippine governments for their continued support.
Also honored during the event were Jimmy Pacheco, the Filipino caregiver freed on Nov. 24, 2023, after being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, and Noralyn Babadilla, a dual Filipino-Israeli citizen freed four days later.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, for their part, said the Philippines maintains an open line for the families of the victims and remains ready to extend assistance while working to ensure the welfare of Filipinos still in Israel.
Cacdac added that Manila will maintain its “strong bilateral relations” with Israel, particularly on labor, and said he will lead a Philippine labor-focused mission to Israel.
“It’s a good chance to see our friends, our colleague/counterparts from the Israeli side. And, there are things to talk about by way of finding ways in which we could enhance the, first and foremost, current employment of the Filipinos who are there,” he said. (PNA)
TRIBUTE. Israel Ambassador Dana Kursh leads the commemoration ceremony on Tuesday (Oct. 13, 2026) for the Filipinos killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Present at the event are the survivors and families of the victims.
