Iran behind Filipina caregiver death in Israel — Israeli envoy
The Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines, Dana Kursh, has explicitly stated that the Iranian regime is responsible for the death of a Filipina caregiver in Israel, attributing it to the broader conflict in the Middle East.
Mary Ann Velasquez de Vera, a 32-year-old Filipina caregiver from Pangasinan, was killed on February 28, 2026, during an Iranian missile strike on Tel Aviv, Israel. She was hit by shrapnel while assisting her elderly ward to a bomb shelter, becoming the first reported Filipino casualty in the Israel-Iran conflict. The attack occurred during Iran's ballistic missile attacks on Israel launched in retaliation for joint US-Israeli military actions against Iran. The missile struck near an apartment building in Tel Aviv, injuring 27 others, with her ward being rescued alive from the rubble.
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Dana Kursh expressed condolences for the death, describing the incident as "heartbreaking" and stating that "nothing can restore her to her family—her parents or her husband." She committed to maintaining contact with Vera's family in Pangasinan, sending a care package, and returning her remains "as soon as possible when conditions allow." Kursh made these statements during a visit to the Inquirer office in Makati in March 2026, amid assurances that Israel would facilitate repatriation of overseas Filipino workers if the Iran conflict escalates further.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed her death in a video message on March 1, 2026, expressing condolences and noting she was the first reported Filipino casualty in the Middle East crisis. Her husband, Bernie Lavarias, also a Filipino caregiver in Israel, identified her body. On March 12, 2026, Lavarias met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, who offered personal condolences, financial compensation, and a monthly allowance via Israel's national insurance system for war victims.
Vera had worked in Israel since 2019, starting with elderly patient Doris Gurin in Beersheba. Her former employers described her as "an angel on Earth." Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein confirmed the death at the strike site, describing it as an attack on a civilian building housing children and elderly residents. Philippine Ambassador Aileen Mendiola, present at the meeting with President Herzog, thanked him and raised concerns about accessible shelters for Filipino workers, noting five other Filipinos had been killed in recent Iran-related conflicts and October 7 attacks.
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