Colombian couple missing in Israel after Hamas attack

2023-10-09 19:13:36

Relatives of Ivonne Rubio and Antonio Mesías Motaño, a young Colombian couple in Israel, are waiting for information that will allow them to find their whereabouts, since they have been missing since this Saturday, when the Islamist movement of Hamas launched a terrorist escalation from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, which responded with a military offensive.

Sandra Paola Montaño, Antonio’s aunt, told Blu radio that the couple was at Fiesta Nova, an electronic music festival that was taking place in the Negev desert, near the border with the Palestinian enclave when the attacks occurred. with missiles, from that moment their whereabouts are unknown and they are waiting for information to know if they are alive or not, on the contrary they are part of the 600 dead that Israel has reported after the bombings.

“The authorities already have all the data about them and the hospitals and places to go see the bodies and verify if they actually died,” said Sandra Montaño in dialogue with the radio station.

The woman said that the last contact they had with them was in the middle of the attacks. “At 6:30 in the morning on Saturday my sister contacted my nephew. He told us that they were going to look for a safe place to take refuge. They were going with a friend and he already showed up, we are waiting for the scare to pass a little so that he can tell us if he knows any information about our relatives.”

From Colombia, Ivonne and Antonio’s relatives flood social networks with images of both so that if anyone recognizes them in Israel, they can contact them.

The southern area of ​​Israel, where the Colombian couple was located, was the most affected by the missiles launched by Hamas from Gaza. In fact, in the last few hours the government of that country ordered the evacuation of all residents living near the Palestinian enclave, given the risk of being taken hostage or killed at the hands of the militants.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated this Sunday the recommendations for compatriots who are in Israel. The Foreign Ministry reported that, taking into account the declaration of the State of war, the Colombian Consulate in Tel Aviv keeps the emergency line [phone] and the email [email protected] enabled for citizens affected by the attacks or in a vulnerable situation.

“Given the complex security situation in the southern area and that surrounds Gaza and affects large areas of the country, we ask all Colombian citizens to obey the instructions of the security authorities,” the consulate said in a statement.

In addition, it was suggested that in case of mortar or rocket launches, pay attention to a “red alert” siren. “Treat all those alerts as real; Follow instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately. Know the location of your nearest shelter or protected space,” it was urged.

Likewise, he recommended that compatriots who are visiting the country contact the airlines to verify that their return flights are confirmed and that they can advance their departure from the country.