A Filipina caregiver in Israel thought it was already her time when Hamas launched a surprise attack on the Jewish state early October, but her instinct to just surrender to the militants' demands saved her from getting killed.

Camille Jesalva, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), was spending her normal day taking care of her 95-year-old employer, Nitza Hefetz, when she heard a commotion outside their house on Kibbutz Nirim in the early morning of Oct. 7.

They actually heard some bombings earlier, Jesalva said. But she thought these were only normal since their area was located near Hamas-controlled Gaza where such incidents were common.

But she realized that, this time, it was no longer the usual exchange of fire between militants and Israeli troops when she heard Arab-speaking people having broken into their home. They were aggressive, she said.

As it turned out, those who entered the house were militants from Hamas, a group already tagged as terrorist by the US, UK, Japan and Israel, that has controlled the Palestinian territory of Gaza since 2016.

“After that, I said something is wrong,” Jesalva said in an online presser hosted by the Israeli Embassy in Manila. She initially thought the noise came from the Israeli military. But it wasn’t.

“Then I said, ‘Oh my God, I will die.’ And then they are shooting and then maybe that time, they are killing,” she added.

At least 1,400 people were killed in Israel due to attacks launched by Hamas in different parts of the country. Four Filipinos were included.

A militant inside their house then started looking for valuable items, including mobile phones and money.

The militant was also about to get Jesalva’s passport, but she begged for it to be left as she was actually about to return to the Philippines for vacation.

“[I told him], Sir I will give everything to you, just don't hurt us,” Jesalva told the militant. She even gave her own money because she knew she would be killed if she would not give her wallet.

“But not my passport and my card because it's my flight. Obviously, they see my things on the library. So I said if they take this, I cannot go home. I cannot see my son. That's on my mind. So I request. not my phone and not my passport. I think it's okay,” she added.

The militant started taking valuables from the house. She said she accompanied him to the door after that and even said thank you.

"Why I must not? It's my normal that I follow the visitor to go outside the door. It's normal for me. And I always call everyone sir. And I said goodbye and I say thank you because he gave our life. He don't hurt us," she added.

Jesalva said she did not want to die. She has a son in the Philippines, who she is still about to see.

"Ayaw ko pa po mamatay. Kawawa yung anak ko. Tapos sabi po noong anak ko the other day, 'Mommy, 'pag namatay ka, mamamatay ako (I don't wanna die yet. I would pity my son. He even told me the other day that I would die, he would also die),'" she narrated.

She was already returning to the Philippines but her stay in Israel was extended after Hamas' attacks. She wanted to see her elderly patient recuperate.

Jesalva has been receiving praises from the Israeli government, the Israeli media and the Israeli people for her heroism.

"They keep hugging me and showing me support that you know, I've never seen like before. And my boss really admire and I said why they are hugging me so so much," she said.

"And then they said, 'you are the best we don't expect that you're so strong like that.' They know that I'm strong but not like this. Israelis are so thankful," she added.