(2nd UPDATE) Israeli media earlier reported that an Iranian missile hit a residential building in Haifa, a port city in northern Israel
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday, April 7, that a Filipina was among the four killed after a missile strike hit a residential building in Haifa, Israel, on April 5.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs expresses deep sorrow over the death of a Filipina national who was killed in a missile attack on a residence in Haifa, Israel, on the evening of 05 April 2026. She died alongside her Israeli husband and elderly parents-in-law,” said the DFA in a statement.
The DFA said its post in Tel Aviv has informed her family and will be providing assistance, including the “earliest possible repatriation of her remains despite the current travel situation in the region.”
The DFA did not disclose the identity of the Filipina but asked for privacy on behalf of her family.
“We join the Filipino community in praying for her eternal rest and for strength for her family during this time of profound loss,” added the DFA.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a recorded message, reiterated that government agencies had been asked to help her family and ensure the repatriation of her remains.
“Patuloy nating binabantayan ang sitwasyon sa rehiyon. Ang kaligtasan ng bawat Pilipino ang ating pangunahing prayoridad. Nakikiisa ang buong sambayanan sa kanilang pagdadalamhati. Nawa’y matagpuan nila ang lakas at kapanatagan sa gitna ng trahedyang ito,” he said.
(We continue to monitor the situation in the region. The safety of every Filipino is our priority. The nation shares in their grief. We pray they find strength and peace amid this tragedy.)
In a release, the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines identified the victims of the strike as Vladimir Gershovich, Lena Ostrovsky, Dima Gershovich, and 29-year-old Lucille Jean Gershovich.
The embassy said that Dima and Lucille were wed in April 2024.
“Israel stands in profound solidarity with the bereaved family and the Filipino community, and shares in the grief over the loss of a Filipino life. We mourn together and honor their memory with dignity. Lucille’s family has asked that their privacy be respected as they observe this period of mourning,” said the embassy.
Four people were killed in the Israeli port city of Haifa after what Israeli media said was an Iranian missile strike that hit a residential building late on Sunday. The bodies of the four were recovered from beneath the rubble following hours of intensive search-and-rescue operations, the Israeli military said on Monday, April 6.
Her passing comes as the war in the Gulf, triggered by the United States and Israel’s strikes on Iran, broke out.
According to Al Jazeera’s tracking, the war has claimed the lives of over 1,937 people in Iran, 1,461 in Lebanon, 24 in Israel, 13 American soldiers, and 27 across the different Gulf states. Over 26,500 have been reported injured in Iran, 6,951 in Israel, and 4,430 in Lebanon.
A Filipina caregiver, Mary Anne Velazquez de Vera, was the first confirmed Filipino death as a result of the latest escalation of hostilities in the Gulf. De Vera died while trying to help her patient reach a bomb shelter in Israel.
In 2025, during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, a Filipina caregiver was among the hundreds of civilians who lost her life. Leah Mosquera, who was then just about to turn 50, was promised the same benefits and support that Israeli citizens hit by a missile or an act of terror are entitled to.
Arab nations are home to over 2 million Filipinos, most of them overseas Filipino workers.
The Philippines’ response to hostilities in the Gulf factors in the repatriation of thousands who wish to be repatriated, on top of social services for migrant workers whose jobs are affected by the war.
Manila is among those worst affected by the oil crisis as a result of the war. Iran has controlled and restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway where much of oil intended for Asia passes through. – with reports from Reuters/Rappler.com
