A neighborhood in Gaza City hit by an Israeli airstrike lies in rubble, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. Israel has launched intense airstrikes in Gaza after the territory’s militant rulers carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel Saturday, killing over 1,000 people and taking captives. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the airstrikes. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
BACOLOD CITY— The relatives or the families of the Negrense caregiver and three other overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who were killed by the Hamas militants, will receive pensions and other benefits from the Israeli government.
This was the message of Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss and which was delivered by Consul Moti Cohen to the family of the late Loreta Alacre at her home in Barangay Cadiz Viejo, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.
READ: OFW bravely stayed with her elderly patient as Hamas barged in to kill
Pensions, benefits of victims of hostile actions
Cohen said Israel has a law that grants pension and other benefits to families of victims of hostile actions.
The family of Alacre and the other OFWs killed in Israel, he said, will be given the same benefits granted to Israeli citizens.
Alacre, 49, was the breadwinner of her family. She has seven siblings and 11 nieces and nephews, four of whom she was sending to college.
“Loreta was the family breadwinner and will continue to do so even in death with the help from the Israeli government,” said Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante.
READ: 7 OFWs missing, 22 saved as war in Israel rages
Embassy of Israel to assist in availing benefits
The Israeli ambassador, in his letter, said “we would like to express our deepest sympathy and condolences for the loss of Ms. Loreta who was murdered by the Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.”
“Unfortunately, she joined the big Israeli family of victims of terror,” he said.
The ambassador told the Alacre family that they are entitled to financial and other assistance from the Israeli government.
Fluss said the embassy of Israel will assist them in availing such benefits from the Israel Social Security Institute.
READ: Family of slain caregiver urges gov’t to bring her home
Body of Alacre has yet to arrive
Cohen said aside from visiting the family to express the condolences of the Israeli people, he informed them of the assistance due them.
Cohen said the Alacre family was the first they visited as the remains of the other slain OFWs have yet to arrive.
Alacre will be buried at the Caduha-an cemetery in Cadiz City on Nov. 5.
Alacre, along with her Chinese boyfriend, were killed in the Hamas attack as she was returning to the house of her employer in Israel after a day off on Oct. 7.
READ: Filipino caregiver gives Hamas gunman $370, saves self, Israeli ward
Deeply appreciated: OFW saves elderly employer
The sacrifices made by several Filipino caregivers in Israel to protect their wards were deeply appreciated by the Israeli Ambassador to Manila, who said such efforts created an “eternal bond” between the people of the two countries especially at a time of war.
The story of Camille Jesalva, the 31-year-old caregiver who gave the meager savings she had to Hamas militants to protect her 95-year-old ward from being kidnapped during the Oct. 7 sneak assault in Israel, was an amazing story of “heroism” by Filipinos in the ongoing war between Israel and the Islamic militant group, Fluss said.
“Our appreciation to the OFWs who are in Israel, who are staying with their employers, with the patients, with the elderly to take care of them. And we would like to say thank you very much,” Fluss said at an online press briefing on Friday.
Fluss was amazed by how Jesalva was able to remain calm to successfully negotiate with the Hamas militants who barged into her employer’s home, considering both of them could have been killed as was the case with other Filipino caregivers during the attack.
READ: Envoy ‘disturbed’ on pro-Palestine Filipinos burning Israel flag during protest
Offered her meager earnings for their lives
When Palestine militants barged into the house of Nitza Hefetz’s, Jesalva’s ward, she stopped Hefetz and the men from fighting and offered her small savings of $370 (P21,000) in exchange for not hurting them.
The militants accepted Jesalva’s offer and after the men left, she took Hefetz to a safe room in the house where they hid for two hours until Israeli authorities arrived to rescue them.
“This is an amazing story of heroism of a human being who was able to save. A Filipina, who was able to save her employer. I think this is something that is important for us to recognize and to really appreciate and to say thank you to her,” Fluss said. INQ