OFWs in Israel turning up safe

The Department of Migrant Workers, or DMW, reported yesterday that the number of Filipinos still unaccounted for in Israel following a vicious attack by Hamas had gone down from 10 to five.
DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the agency continues to ensure the welfare of the Filipino community in Israel.

"The search continues, day to day since Saturday. We've counted down those numbers. It used to be around 15 or 16 in the beginning. Now it's down to five," Cacdac said, referring to the missing OFWs.

"The efforts continue, and it's possible that they are in safe rooms or houses," he added.

Cacdac said that around 281 Filipinos near the conflict areas or near Gaza were safe, while four had sought assistance from the Philippine government.

At least three Americans and a dozen Thai nationals have been reported killed in the attack by Hamas.

Earlier on Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said at least six Filipinos were confirmed missing, two were injured, and one was reportedly taken hostage by Hamas.

Citing a verified report from the Philippine Embassy in Israel, DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said efforts to contact the six through their mobile phones and social media accounts had failed.

"The embassy is working non-stop with Israeli security authorities and community contacts to ascertain their condition. We continue to await feedback from them," Daza told reporters in a WhatsApp message.

She said that one of the two hurt Filipinos had minor injuries, while the other received treatment for smoke inhalation.

"Both have been visited by our labor attaché and welfare officer who provided them assistance and essential supplies," she said, adding the two were with 18 other civilians who had been escorted out of the conflict areas.

'Hostage'

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Deputy Administrator Arnell Ignacio said in an interview that an injured Filipino is recovering from a gunshot wound in a hospital.

"These are purely reports. But I think you are referring to Joey Pasulingan. If I'm not mistaken, Joey is currently in a hospital. If you are referring to him, he was hit by a bullet, and he is now recovering," Ignacio said.

According to Daza, the DFA was still verifying if one of the hostages taken by Hamas in Gaza was a Filipino.

She noted that a Filipina reached out to the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv to report that her husband was taken hostage by Hamas as shown on one of the viral videos on social media.

Daza said the Philippine Embassy had relayed the report to the Israeli military authorities.

"The post cannot independently verify his identity based on the video alone but considers the report of the wife as important. We are also working with community contacts on his case," she said.

Repatriation from Gaza

Meanwhile, Daza said at least 25 Filipinos have expressed their intent to be repatriated from Gaza.

"The numbers may change as some are still undecided, but as of date, 25 who have signified their intention informed the post they want to leave Gaza," she said. There are a total of 137 Filipinos in Gaza.

The DFA previously said there were almost 30,000 Filipinos who consider Israel as their second home. Most of them work in the caregiving, hospitality, engineering and healthcare industries.

Iran on Monday rejected as unfounded the allegations that it had a role in the massive assault on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

"The accusations linked to an Iranian role… are based on political reasons," foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani told reporters.

The Islamic republic, he said, does not intervene "in the decision-making of other countries, including Palestine."

Palestinian militants from the Iran-backed Hamas, which controls the Gaza strip, penetrated Israel at dawn on Saturday under the cover of a massive rocket barrage.

More than 1,100 people have been killed in the conflict so far, with Israel reporting over 700 dead and the Palestinians putting their toll at 430.

Iran, which does not recognize Israel and has made support for the Palestinian cause a centerpiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, was one of the first countries to hail the Hamas assault.

The Palestinians had "the necessary capacity and will to defend their nation and recover their rights" without any help from Tehran, Kanani said.

Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations also denied allegations the Islamic republic had any role in the Hamas attack, in a statement issued overnight.

With AFP