Another Filipina killed in missile strike on Israel

The Israeli embassy in Manila expressed its condolences to the family of Lucille Jane Gershovich. She died alongside her Israeli husband and elderly parents-in-law in the attack on a residence in Haifa on Sunday evening.

According to the embassy, the victims were Lucille, 29; her husband, Dmitry Gershovich, 42, and his parents, Vladimir Gershovich, 73, and Lena Ostrovsky, 68.

The DFA said the victim’s family had been informed by the Philippine embassy in Tel Aviv.

The embassy is providing assistance and arranging for the earliest possible repatriation of Lucille’s remains, despite the current travel situation in the region.

“The family requested privacy at this difficult time to grieve in peace. We join the Filipino community in praying for her eternal rest and for strength for her family during this time of profound loss,” the DFA said.

On Feb. 28, Filipina caregiver Mary Ann Velasquez de Vera was killed in a missile attack in Tel Aviv.

Extraordinary family

According to Ynet Global, Lucille was a kindergarten teacher and originally from the Philippines, while Dmitry was a software engineer who had studied at the Technion in Haifa and later at Reichman University in Herzliya.

Lucille met Dmitry while traveling in the Philippines and, despite initial fears, moved to Israel to be with him.

“For years, she was afraid to come to Israel, but chose to follow their love,” Lilach Levin, a family friend, shared. “They married in April 2024. A few months ago, she made the move to build a home with him. They dreamed of a fam ily and children, dreams that will never be fulfilled.”

Dmitry’s parents, Vladimir and Lena, were longtime residents of Haifa. Lena was a veteran voice coach at the Nissan Nativ acting studio while Vladimir had recently returned home after a pro longed hospitalization in an underground ward at Ram bam Medical Center.

“An extraordinary family, in a split second all their lives were cut short… It’s unimagi nable. Dima managed to bring Vladimir home from the hos pital, and then the missile hit the building and all four were killed. All the floors collapsed onto the ground floor where they lived,” Levin said.

President Marcos yesterday expressed his condolences to Lucille’s family and ordered agencies to extend full assistance and ensure the immediate repatriation of her remains.

“We extend our condo lences to the family of our compatriot who was killed in the missile attack in Haifa, Israel. We mourn with her family in the midst of a trag edy that no one should have to experience,” Marcos said in Filipino in a post on social media.

“The entire nation joins in their grief. May they find strength and comfort in the midst of this tragedy,” he added.

Marcos said the Philippine embassy in Tel Aviv stands ready to provide all necessary assistance.

“I have directed our agencies to extend full assistance to the family and to ensure the immediate repatriation of her remains,” he said.

920 repatriated

A total of 920 Filipinos affected by the Mideast conflict have been repatriated as of yesterday, the DFA said.

The DFA said 293 Filipinos were repatriated from Dubai, United Arab Emirates; while 144 were from Qatar; 138 from Abu Dhabi, UAE and 115 brought home from Amman, Jordan.

Also repatriated were 119 Filipinos from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 65 from Tel Aviv, Israel; 32 from Tehran, Iran; 20 from Baghdad, Iraq and four from Manama, Bahrain.

A total of 1,576 repatriation requests were received from overseas Filipinos, including 656 pending requests.

In the fifth repatriation flight on April 3, 344 Filipinos in Dubai were brought home, including 228 overseas Filipino workers with their 68 dependents and 48 stranded visit visa holders. — Pia Lee-Brago, Helen Flores