OFWs in Israel go to bed with eyes closed but get little sleep

Though they go to bed with their eyes closed, overseas Filipino workers in Israel cannot go to sleep due to fears of bombs going off as hostilities between Israel and Palestine intensifies.

“Kapagka ‘yung gabi na po, nakapikit lang po kami pero ‘yung diwa po namin gising kasi nga po anytime may bomba po na dumating, nakakatakot po kasi,” Arwin Sausa said in Darlene Cay’s report on “State of the Nation.”

(When it’s nighttime, our eyes are closed but we remain aware of what’s going on because a bomb may go off anytime. It’s scary.)

“Matatanaw po namin ‘yung Gaza at saka po ‘yung mga binabato po nila. Kaya po talagang dapat gising ka lagi tapos alerto ka,” he added.

(We can see Gaza and what they’re throwing. That’s why you need to be awake and alert all the time.)

Israel on Thursday carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Gaza.

Since last week, the tension between Israel and Palestine intensified after Israel ordered the deportation of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem. This was followed by a raid on a mosque.

At present, there are 30,000 Filipinos in Israel.

Sausa said that when a rocket attack was on its way, a siren will go off while they will receive alerts on their cellphones.

This is their cue to run towards safety bunkers.

“Kahit ‘yung sabihin mong nasa safety room ka, ‘yung mapapaisip ka na lang rin po na what if ‘yung bomba tumama sa ganyan tapos mabasag po ‘yung ano,”

(Even if you say that you’re in the safety room, you can’t help but think that what if the bomb hits something and breaks it.)

Meanwhile, a video taken by OFW Vejay Ellano showed the explosion in the sky. At times, the missiles end up resembling fireworks in the sky due to their high number.

“Sobrang ano po, nakakakaba kasi hindi po namin expect na magkakagulo ng ganito tapos first time ko po na mangyari po sa akin na ganon,” Jimmer Bucasas, another OFW, said.

(It’s really disturbing because we didn’t expect chaos to erupt here. This is the first time that I experienced this.)

“Iniisip ko na lang po ‘yung kaligtasan din po namin tapos nagdadasal na lang din po palagi tas nililibang na lang din po ‘yung sarili,” he later added.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that plans were in place in case OFWs in Israel were in harm’s way. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News