Israel to provide lifetime aid to kidnapped Filipino

THE Israeli government will provide Gelienor Pacheco and his immediate family «lifetime» social security benefits and regular stipends similar to those given to Israelis who are victims of terrorist attacks, the Philippine Embassy in Israel said.

The embassy on Sunday said Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Pacheco, 33, at the Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center a day after he was released from captivity in Gaza by the Hamas militants.

Pacheco was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz last October 7 when Hamas fighters attacked the southern border of Gaza on the Israeli side. His 80-year-old patient was among those reported killed.

Cohen has described Pacheco's release as a «happy day for Israel and the Philippines.»

He and 23 others were among the first batch of kidnapped Israelis and foreigners freed on the evening of November 24 by the Hamas fighters.

«On his first day of freedom from Hamas captivity, Jimmy (Pacheco) is visited by Israel's top diplomat at the hospital where he is recovering after 49 days of being held hostage in Gaza,» Philippine Ambassador to Israel Pedro Laylo Jr. said on Facebook.

Cohen told Pacheco that Israel «exerted all efforts and we are here for you.»

Laylo conveyed the Philippines' gratitude to Israel for facilitating the release of the hostages, including Pacheco.

The ambassador assured Pacheco of the embassy's full support for all his immediate needs.

«We also thank the Government of Qatar for facilitating the negotiations, the Israel Defense Forces for arranging the security of the area which allowed the release, the International Committee for the Red Cross for escorting the hostages safely out of Gaza, and the Egyptian and Israeli medical professionals who gave them immediate care,» Laylo said.

«The Philippines continues its call for the soonest safe release of noncombatant civilians remaining in captivity — especially women, children, elderly, the sick, and foreign workers who have no part in this conflict,» he added.