Kibbutz Be’eri, 26 October 2025

The Asia-Pacific Embassies in Israel held a solemn commemoration ceremony at Kibbutz Be’eri on 26 October 2025, to honor the foreign nationals from the Asia-Pacific region who lost their lives during the Hamas attack on 07 October 2023.

The ceremony took place at Kibbutz Be'eri, where four Filipinos, two Sri Lankans, and one Australian were killed. Two Thai workers who worked in the kibbutz were also abducted and later killed in Gaza. The body of one Thai national remains in Gaza.

Ex-hostages, survivors, and bereaved families joined diplomats, Israeli government officials, and members of the Be’eri community in the ceremony. The program included messages of remembrance delivered by MFA Asia-Pacific Deputy Director General Aviv Ezra, a wreath offering by Population and Immigration Authority Director General Boaz Yosef, candle-lighting rites, interfaith prayers led by a Catholic priest and a Buddhist monk, and tribute performances.

In his message as Dean of the Asia-Pacific Ambassadors, Vietnamese Ambassador Ly Duc Trung recalled the Ambassadors’ earlier request to the Israeli Government to look into issues concerning the safety and welfare of foreign workers in Israel. These include, among others, safety and shelter during conflict, the cancellation of “Basket of Services” fees, salary deductions, no work–no pay policies, restrictions on sectoral mobility, and visa matters.

“We believe that the best way to remember those who are no longer beside us is by paying due attention to those who are beside us. The remembrance, healing, and pursuit of peace are therefore indeed more meaningful,” the Vietnamese envoy noted.

In his message of remembrance, Deputy Director General Ezra paid tribute to the foreign nationals who perished, noting that as they are part of Israeli society, their deaths are also Israel’s loss. He thanked friends from Asia who reached out to Israel, prayed for them, and shared their grief. “We are better together, we are stronger together,” he said.

The ceremony also paid tribute to the courage of foreign caregivers who survived the attack and continued to care for their elderly wards, as well as to the families of foreign nationals who remain unaccounted for. Participants offered prayers for the swift return of all remaining victims’ bodies, particularly the three Be’eri residents and foreign nationals (one Thai, one Tanzanian).

Among the victims remembered were nationals from Australia, Cambodia, China, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. They had come to Israel to work, study, and build better futures for their families back home. Their lives and contributions—particularly those of foreign caregivers, agricultural workers, and students—were acknowledged as integral to Israeli society and its recovery.

Through this collective act of remembrance, the Asia-Pacific Embassies reaffirmed the solidarity between their countries, Israel, and the international community in the shared pursuit of healing and peace. It also underscored the sacrifices and immeasurable contributions of foreign workers to Israeli society, highlighting the importance of ensuring their safety, dignity, and well-being.

“May their memories be a blessing — Yehi zichram baruch.”

Photos courtesy of the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines to the  State of Israel