Another Filipino dies in Israel amid airstrikes
The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the tragic death of a second Filipino national in Israel, killed in a missile attack on her Haifa residence on April 5, 2026. She died alongside her Israeli husband and in-laws amidst the ongoing conflict.
Based on comprehensive searches of Philippine news sources including Philstar, PNA, and other reliable outlets, no verified information exists about a second Filipino national killed in Haifa on April 5, 2026. The search results consistently point to a different incident involving Mary Anne Velazquez de Vera (also reported as Mary Ann V. De Vera), a 32-year-old Filipina caregiver from Basista, Pangasinan, who was killed by shrapnel from an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv on February 28, 2026. This incident occurred during Operation Roaring Lion, and she was the first Filipino fatality in that conflict. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed her death on March 2, 2026, noting she was helping her elderly patient reach a bomb shelter when struck. Her widower, Bernie Galsim Lavarias, identified her remains, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with him on March 12, 2026, praising the Filipino community's contributions. The Israeli Embassy in Manila also mourned her as a selfless OFW. Regarding the Haifa incident on April 5-6, 2026, available reports indicate that four members of the Gershovitz family were killed in a direct missile strike, but no Filipino victims were mentioned in any verified Philippine news sources. The Department of Foreign Affairs has not issued any statement confirming a second Filipino death in Haifa on that date. All reliable Philippine media outlets have only reported on the Tel Aviv incident involving Mary Anne Velazquez de Vera.
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