‘No words to omit the pain’

When the air raid sirens sounded in Israel, Mary Ann de Vera received the same instruction given to millions of residents and foreign workers: run for shelter. But the Filipina caregiver did not leave.

Inside the apartment where she worked, an elderly woman needed help moving to safety. As missiles launched from Iran streaked toward Israeli cities, Mary Ann stayed behind to assist the person under her care.

Moments later, a missile struck the building, killing her, the first victim among the 2.4-million Filipinos living in the Middle East that is now gripped by conflict after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran, with the latter striking back across the Gulf region.

Israeli and Philippine officials are coordinating the return of Mary Ann’s body to the Philippines, Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines Dana Kursh told Tribune News on Cue in an exclusive interview.

“We will do everything in our power to bring the remains of the beloved Mary Ann back,” Kursh said. “And she will be reunited with her family in Pangasinan.”

She said Israeli authorities were working closely with Philippine diplomats and agencies responsible for overseas Filipino workers.

The Israeli government has also promised to treat Mary Ann as a victim of terrorism under Israeli law—meaning her family will receive compensation similar to that provided to Israeli citizens killed in attacks.

Iranian threat

“In Israel, whenever a terror attack or a war attack happens to an Israeli civilian, any foreigner who has been inflicted by it will be entitled to the same compensation and benefits as an Israeli,” Kursh said.

Still, the ambassador acknowledged that no assistance could replace the life that was lost. “There are no words to omit the pain,” she said. “You cannot grasp losing a child.”

Kursh repeatedly underscored that the strike was not simply an Israeli initiative but part of a coordinated effort between the two allies, reflecting what she described as the state’s longstanding recognition of the Iranian threat.

“The Iranian threat has been identified by the United States for many years,” she said. The ambassador pointed to discussions between the Israeli leadership and American officials as part of the strategic coordination that led to the strike.

“The United States of America is a leader in the world that sees its responsibility to make sure that we have a better world for our children,” Kursh said.

She emphasized that the decision to confront Iran militarily was rooted in broader geopolitical concerns shared by the United States.

“If the United States of America, with all its might, identified this threat as a global threat,” she said, “then we have to deal with it together.”

Retaliation

Within hours of the attack, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel and several US military bases across the Middle East.

Israel’s missile defense systems—including the Iron Dome—intercepted many incoming projectiles. Some still got through though.

One missile struck the city of Beit Shemesh, killing nine Israeli civilians. Four of them were children, including three siblings from one family.

Kursh described the incident as one of the most tragic moments of the early conflict. “Out of those four children, three were from the same family—ages thirteen, fourteen, and sixteen,” she said.

Elsewhere, the war has produced competing narratives about civilian casualties. Reports from Iran claimed that a missile strike hit a school, killing children—an incident that also drew international concern.

Israeli officials have questioned the accuracy of those reports. “The Iranian regime is very, very good also in fake news,” Kursh said.

She insisted that the Israeli strikes are focused on the Iranian leadership and military infrastructure rather than civilians. “Our war is not with the Iranian people,” she said.

Regime change

During the interview, Ambassador Kursh clarified that the military operation targeted the leadership structure of the Iranian regime.

She said that key figures in Iran’s political and military command were eliminated early in the operation.

“In the first 40 minutes of this operation,” she said, “the leadership of the Iranian regime led by Khamenei was killed.”

Kursh said that removing what she called the “fanatic regime leadership” could open the door to political change within Iran.

She stressed that the country’s next leader should ultimately be the Iranian people’s choice.

“We hope and pray that the Iranian people will rise and will be able to pick the right leader for Iran,” she said.

The ambassador acknowledged that the leadership succession in Iran was a topic of speculation, including reports that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been considering possible successors.

“Among the leaders that Khamenei was thinking of were his own son and others,” Kursh said.

Still, Kursh admitted the outcome remains uncertain.

“There is always a risk,” she said. “The next leader can be even worse.”