David Heiblum Berman, one of the Mexicans reported as missing in Israel together with his Panamanian wife Saryelis Denises Sáez, was found alive and is in a safe area with the Israeli army, which means that there are now only two Mexicans who have not yet been located after the conflict with the Palestinian group broke out.
Israel’s ambassador to Panama, Itai Bardov, confirmed the location of the married couple who for several years have been living in the country at war with Hamas, the Palestinian group that launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory last Saturday and has already left thousands dead on both sides.
“I am very happy to announce that Daryelis has been found along with her husband and that they are doing well. She has already spoken to her family,” she reported on the social network X, formerly called Twitter.
David’s sister, Shirley Heiblum Berman, also confirmed that her brother and sister-in-law had been located; she said that after three days of anguish they received the happy news that they were alive.
Shirley recounted how her brother and wife survived after Hamas members crossed the line into Israeli territory and openly fired on civilians they encountered head-on.
David’s sister said that her brother and his wife were in their apartment in Israel when they heard gunshots, so they decided to hide in the building, exactly under the bed for 60 hours, because the attackers were disguised as Israeli policemen.
“They were hearing gunshots and (Hamas) were disguised as Israeli soldiers,” he said.
Shirley said that on October 7, at approximately one o’clock in the afternoon they had the last communication with her brother and since then they had no news of him until this Monday they were informed that he had been located alive.
She added that after the Hamas members broke in, real Israeli policemen entered her brother’s apartment, but did not locate him because he was still hiding in fear that they were the disguised attackers.
“Israeli soldiers entered his apartment at 8 a.m. and did not find them. There were no signs of blood, we searched hospitals,” he said of the days of anguish they spent not locating him.
“They were hiding, they were afraid of the terrorists (…), he is alive, he is fine, in an area with Israeli soldiers”, she added and said that her brother talked to her father. According to the young woman, David is thinking of returning to Mexico.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed this morning that there were three Mexicans missing after the conflict in Israel, so after David’s location, the missing Mexicans would be: llana Gritzewsky and Orión Hernández, whose relatives are already in contact with the authorities.
The war between Israel and Hamas has left thousands dead in three days of conflict and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a new offensive against the Palestinian group through a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip, which has been bombed and the electricity supply has also been cut off.
Mexico sends airplanes to repatriate Mexicans stranded in Israel
The Mexican government will send two planes to repatriate Mexicans who were stranded in Israel at the beginning of the conflict. A Mexican Air Force aircraft departed this morning and another will travel this afternoon to the war-torn country to take the Mexicans out of the conflict zone.
President Lopez Obrador said that in Israel there are around 5 thousand Mexicans and of them there are around 300 who contacted consular authorities to return to Mexico.
“Most of the Mexicans who are (in Israel), have done so for tourist trips, mainly religious and as they are canceling commercial flights, it was decided to send a plane that leaves today in the morning and another is being prepared to leave in the afternoon and we are looking for the protection of all our nationals,” he said.