Two Spaniards Missing After Hamas Attack

A NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD with dual Spanish-Israeli nationality and a Basque of 46 are missing following Hamas’s attack on Israel.

According to the ABC newspaper, Maya Villalobo Sinvany was stationed at the Nahal Oz base where she is carrying out her military service.

Her father, who lives in Sevilla asked Spain’s Foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares for help, via X (formerly Twitter).

“Minister, my Spanish daughter is missing in Israel, the telephones aren’t working,” he tweeted.

Albares contacted Villalobo shortly afterwards and at present the Spanish authorities are not ruling out any “any possibilities.”

The other missing Spanish national is a 46-year-old who was born in Zarautz (Guipuzkoa) who lives with his Israeli wife on the Kissufim kibbutz near Gaza. Both called their families to tell them that Hamas were trying to attack their house, since when there has been no news of them.

Foreign minister Albares confirmed on October 8 that two Spanish people were affected by the attack on Israel without giving any further details.

“We are in touch with their families and are trying to clarify and help in any way that we can,” Albares said in an interview with the Catalan Rac1 radio station, but declined to give further details “on security grounds.”

Sources consulted by ABC confirmed that the minister is “speaking personally” with the Israeli authorities, dealing with all communications himself and talking to the families.

“I’m not going to give any details in this respect,” Albares said.  “I can confirm that we have information regarding two Spanish nationals affected by the terrorist attack against Israel.

“Regarding this case, both for security reasons and out respect for their families and for these two people, please can we be discreet about this and respect my decision not to give any more information than this, which I think is sufficient for transparency.”

Albares went on to condemn Hamas’s attacks and guaranteed that Spain would help nationals currently in Israel who wished to return to Spain.

Meanwhile, 650 Spanish soldiers belonging to the UN peacekeeping force on Lebanon are stationed at the frontier “to prevent a more serious escalation.”