Israelis appeal for rescue of Hamas hostages, including Filipino By GMA Integrated News

Israelis are appealing to their government to implement measures to rescue the hostages of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which include a 33-year-old Filipino, according to JP Soriano's report on Unang Balita on Thursday. The report said Israelis have been holding protests to call on their government to take the hostages out of Gaza, a Hamas stronghold, without anyone getting hurt. A Reuters report on Wednesday said the Israeli government has confirmed that two Filipinos were among the estimated 220 hostages currently held by Hamas. But according to the JP Soriano in his report, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv has yet to receive official confirmation that Filipinos are among those held hostage by Hamas. Among the photos of those abducted by Hamas presented during a press conference of the Israeli Foreign Ministry was that of a missing Filipino identified as Jimmy Gelienor Pacheco. Clarice, Pacheco’s wife, earlier said she saw in the videos circulating on social media that her husband was one of those abducted by Hamas members. In his last text message to his wife before he went missing, Pacheco said, "Pinasok na kami, hon, ingatan mo yung mga anak natin (They were able to go inside, hon. Take care of our children)." The Israeli government’s recent data showed that 138 Hamas hostages have foreign passports from 25 different countries, including 54 Thai nationals, 15 Argentinians, 12 Germans, 12 Americans, six French, six Russians, one Chinese, and one Sri Lankan. On October 15, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) placed Gaza City under Alert Level 4 in preparation for the possible ground offensive of Israeli forces against Hamas. GMA Integrated News team deployed in Israel saw several battle tanks of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which were next generation Merkava Mark 5, traveling to South Israel towards the direction of Gaza. DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said Wednesday that three Filipinos are still in war-torn Gaza City despite the implementation of a mandatory evacuation by the Philippine government under Alert Level 4. Foreign victims According to the Reuters report, Thais also made up the largest single group of foreign dead and missing, with 24 confirmed killed and 21 unaccounted for. Thailand is one of the largest sources of migrant workers in Israel, with around 30,000 working in the agriculture sector, the report said, citing government data. Among other foreign nations that suffered heavy losses were the United States, with 34 killed and five missing; Ukraine, with 25 killed and two missing; France, with 23 killed and one missing; and Russia, with 23 killed and four missing. Five Chinese citizens were killed and one was missing, while Nepal had five killed and five missing. The Philippine government has so far confirmed that four Filipinos have died in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israel is home to at least 30,000 workers from the Philippines, majority working as caregivers and nurses. —Giselle Ombay/KBK, GMA Integrated News

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