On Monday, October 7th, Israel and the world participated in the commemoration of October 7th attacks, marking the first anniversary of one of the largest terrorist attacks in history. Exactly one year ago, the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations from the Gaza Strip launched a surprise attack on Israel, triggering a war that has now spread to several fronts, with the main one being in Lebanon.
In occasion of the commemoration of the October 7th attacks, the Philippine embassy in Tel Aviv, along with the Filipino community, honored the 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, including four Filipinos, who were brutally killed. Prayers were offered for Filipino caregivers Loreta Alacre, Angelyn Aguirre, Grace Cabrera, and Paul Vincent Castelvi, who were murdered in the attack. Alacre was killed while attending a rave in Israel, while Aguirre, Cabrera, and Castelvi were killed, along with their patients and employers, by Hamas terrorists in Beeri, a kibbutz near Gaza.
During the October 7th attacks, 250 people were abducted by Hamas. These included 32 Thai nationals and two Filipinos. In November 2023, Hamas released a total of 105 hostages in several stages, as part of a temporary ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal mediated by Qatar. The two Filipino hostages, Jimmy Pacheco and Noralyn Babadilla, were released during the prisoner exchange deal. 23 of the 32 Thai nationals were also released in November 2023, while 9 remain captive.
Repatriation of Overseas Filipino Workers
The Department of Migrant Workers announced that a total of 1,326 Filipinos have been repatriated from four affected regions: Israel, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza. Additionally, 151 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in conflict-hit Lebanon are set to return to the Philippines in the coming weeks, according to Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac. He also mentioned that 235 others are still being processed under Lebanese immigration authorities, with ongoing efforts to assist those wishing to come home.