The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, said it is verifying with the Israeli Embassy in the Philippines reports that the two missing Filipinos in Israel were taken hostage by the Palestinian Sunni-Islamic extremist group Hamas.

"We are asking the Israel Embassy [in Manila] to verify," DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Eduardo de Vega told Daily Tribune in a Viber message.

Citing the Israeli government, international multimedia news provider Reuters reported that the two Filipinos who were previously tagged as missing were among the estimated 220 hostages held by Hamas.

The two Filipinos went missing after the 7 October surprise attack of Hamas in Israel which left more than 1,400 Israelis dead, including four Filipinos.

On Wednesday, the DFA raised the possibility that one of the two Filipino nationals who went missing in Israel might have been taken hostage by the militant group.

De Vega previously said that the Philippine government is exerting efforts to locate the missing Filipinos in Israel.

According to the DFA, there are almost 30,000 Filipinos who consider Israel their second home. Most of them work in the caregiving, hospitality, engineering and healthcare industries.

The agency said there hasn't been a request for repatriation from Filipinos in Israel.