Filipino caregiver among 24 hostages released by Hamas: ‘Now he is safe’

Filipino caregiver Jimmy Pacheco was among the  first batch of 24 hostages released out of Gaza, according to an official statement from the Israeli Embassy in Manila on November 25.

“Jimmy is undergoing medical evaluations at Shamir Medical Center to ensure his well-being,” says the statement. “Senior representatives from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alongside Philippine Ambassador to Israel Junie Laylo, welcomed him. Our thoughts and prayers remain for the safe release of the 200+ hostages still held in captivity by the terror organization Hamas. The Israeli government is committed and will do whatever is needed to bring them back home.”

Pacheco, 33 – whose formal name is Gelienor “Jimmy” Leano Pacheco — was kidnaped on October 7 from Nir Oz, a kibbutz in Southern Israel when Palestinian Hamas militants carried out a surprise attack on Israel. Reports say Jimmy, who has been in Israel for five years, has been working as a therapist carer for an 80-year old man named Amitai Ben Zvi for four years. Jimmy was kidnaped and Ben Zvi died in the fighting.

Elad Zamir, a friend of the family, said Jimmy is a father of three. His wife Clarice Joy Pacheco works as a Casino Supervisor at Cagayan Holiday & Leisure Resort in the Philippines. “Now he’s back in Israel. His family is overjoyed,” he said.

Elad quotes Hagar Madnik, the daughter of Amitai, who praised Jimmy for the care he had given her father.

She said, “Jimmy…Pacheco, is the Filipino caregiver who supported my father for the past four years. He took care of my Dad with quiet and admirable devotion, always attentive to his needs and supportive in countless ways. He called him ‘daddy’. My dad depended on him, and Jimmy took on that responsibility with love and devotion.

“My father was murdered in our house on kibbutz, in the massacre that took place on that terrible Saturday, on October 7th. And Jimmy was kidnapped…”

The call for Jimmy’s release was first aired in a banner at the funeral of Ben Zvi. The family was deeply concerned about his fate and wished that he “return in peace.”

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Eddie de Vega thanked all those who worked behind the scenes for  the release of Pacheco.

“Now he is safe. We did it…Our heartfelt thanks to all who made this possible. And I have never been prouder of being a member of the Philippine Foreign Service,” he writes on Facebook.

The whereabouts of another Filipino national, Noralyn Babadilla, remain unknown. She is believed to be also held hostage by the Hamas group, according to reports in Manila.