Holy Land turns into ‘holy hell’

An overseas Filipino worker who was among the repatriates who arrived in Manila from Israel on Monday said the terror attack by Hamas on the Holy Land had turned it into a "holy hell."

Elvira Issing, a 48-year-old single mom and a caregiver for 22 years, expressed shock at the attack by Hamas on 7 October, which killed 1,400, mostly civilians, including four Filipinos.

"It is no longer the Holy Land, it has become a holy hell because it (attack) was really violent, and we did not expect Hamas to attack Israel," the Cavite native said.

"In 2006, I also experienced a conflict near the place where I was working. But now the attack by Hamas militants was really scary because of the gunshots, bombs, and sirens," she said.

Elvira said she has lost her income, but she has to prioritize her safety for her children. She said they asked her to come home instead of risking suffering the same fate as the four Filipinos who were killed by Hamas.

"For now, money is not important anymore, what is important is that I am alive and safe. I can go find a job in my country," she said.

Jason Teves, 46, of Banban, Pampanga, a hotel worker for eight months, said he was traumatized when an unknown person speaking in Arabic knocked on their door.

A total of 23 Filipinos returned to the Philippines from Israel on Monday, bringing the total of repatriates to nearly 150.