Her husband was murdered on October 7 at Kibbutz Be'eri. She was nine months pregnant, hiding in a safe room at Kibbutz Or Haner, and survived. Now, the State of Israel is not allowing her to attend the wedding of people with whom she formed a profound bond, or to exercise the rights she is entitled to as a widow.
Her name is Jovel Santiago Castellvi, a caregiver from the Philippines. Her husband, Paul Vincent Castellvi, 42, also a caregiver, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in Be'eri, where he remained alongside his patient, Eviatar Kipnis, 65.
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Jovel and her late husband, Paul, on their wedding day with Eviatar and the late Lilach
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
"We don't really know what happened in Eviatar and Lilach's final moments," Nadav Kipnis and Sharon Lavon told ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth. "But one of the things that comforts us is that Paul was there. We wish fate had been different, but I'm glad he was by his side and I'm certain he tried to protect them in every way he could."
Sharon and Nadav Kipnis
(Photo: Gil Nechushtan)
Nadav lost both of his parents, Eviatar and Lilach, while other members of his family were abducted to Gaza and later released in hostage deals. His partner, Sharon, became pregnant after the massacre and the couple decided to name their son Oliver, an acronym in Hebrew for the phrase "Eviatar and Lilach also left joy in our hearts."
A special bond developed between them and Jovel.
"A few days after October 7, she called me when Paul's body had been identified," Sharon said.
"She was nine months pregnant and gave birth to their son on Nov. 3. She gave birth without an epidural and told me that she had already experienced the greatest pain of her life — losing her husband, Paul. All the baby equipment was on the upper floor in Be'eri and everything burned. Nothing was left — no crib, no stroller. Everything was gone. And after October 7, on the day our loved ones died together, our fate, our story, became even more closely intertwined."
'We were in turmoil'
Israel recognized Jovel as the widow of a victim of hostile acts, and she later left Israel with her infant son, Jaysen Paul.
Nadav and Sharon have now decided to marry after six and a half years together and having a child. They sent invitations to family and friends, including, of course, Jovel. But to her surprise, she discovered that Israel was refusing to allow her to attend the wedding, which is expected to take place in September.
"We were supposed to get married a few years ago, and then October 7 happened," Sharon said. "We were in turmoil. Nadav's parents were murdered and there were other hostages from the family. We were constantly traveling and taking part in delegations, and life stopped. Only recently, after all the hostages returned, did we feel we had the ability to celebrate ourselves. Only now are we processing what we went through and focusing on what is good, and that is the thought that we have the privilege of celebrating a wedding."
Jovel and her son visit Paul’s grave in the Philippines
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
But the celebration cannot feel complete without the woman who has become an inseparable part of their family.
The Population and Immigration Authority initially refused to allow Jovel to return to Israel because of her request to relocate to the country, despite the fact that she had purchased a round-trip ticket. It later barred her from coming to Israel with her young son, Jaysen Paul, to attend the wedding and asked her to deposit 100,000 shekels before authorities would consider allowing her to enter.
"After she flew to the Philippines with Jaysen, she returned to Israel in order to maintain her work visa," Sharon said. "She left Jaysen with family, but we saw how difficult it was for her to be without her son, especially after everything she had been through.
"She realized she couldn't be here without him. In June, she returned to the Philippines to be with her son, and last November she submitted an application for residency in Israel and for recognition as a victim of hostile acts. Many of the rights she is entitled to can only be exercised in Israel. The problem is that she has to be physically in Israel to submit those applications. Every attempt to help her has been rejected. In the Philippines, they don't understand what she went through. Here in Israel, people understand her. It's different."
For now, the couple simply wants her to be present on their wedding day.
"We speak with her on the phone every few days," they said. "Our son Oliver talks with Jaysen. But they refuse to approve her coming here."
Jovel and her son with Sharon and Nadav Kipnis
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
Eviatar Kipnis, who was murdered alongside his wife, Lilach, and his caregiver, Paul
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
The couple, both teachers, generally stay out of the public eye.
"We hope that once her story is published, they will correct this," they said. "We hope it's only bureaucracy. Time after time, they make things more difficult for us and put us through more and more obstacles. We're tired and exhausted and feel that something here is unfair."
Attorney Michal Pomeranz, who represents Jovel through the Justice Ministry's Legal Aid Department, said: "We hope the Population Authority does not intend to reject Jovel's request — either to enter Israel for a visit or to receive status here. Preventing entry to Israel for a widow who was forced to give birth to her son alone after her husband was murdered alongside his Israeli patient, and who has been unable to recover in the Philippines, denies her the possibility of rebuilding her life in the country where she lost her husband.
"In our view, this is the least the State of Israel can do for her. Rejecting her request, and the request of the Lavon-Kipnis family, for her and her son to come to Israel to attend Nadav and Sharon's wedding, after the families' fates became so tragically intertwined, demonstrates callousness and a lack of sensitivity to the situation."
'My second family'
Jovel told ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth that attending Nadav and Sharon's wedding was deeply important to her.
"It is important for us to attend Nadav and Sharon's wedding," she said. "On October 7, they became my second family. After Paul was murdered, I had people to lean on. In Israel, I only had Paul, and in Israel I met so many people. The wonderful Kipnis family helped me at the hospital after I gave birth. Because of them, I met wonderful people, people who can understand what I went through.
"It still hurts. And even though Nadav lost his parents, he supported me 100%. I can't explain how important that is. We bought round-trip tickets. I am so disappointed."
Jovel and her son
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
Explaining her desire to eventually settle in Israel, she said: "I wanted so much to return to Israel, which supports me and my son. Now I don't know what will happen. Maybe my chapter in Israel is over. I am still traumatized by October 7. Paul and I had so many plans for the future. Now I don't know what the future will be."
The Population and Immigration Authority said in response: "A review of the case found that the late Mr. Castellvi was buried in the couple's country of origin, the Philippines, and that the applicant subsequently chose to leave Israel together with her son and return to her country of origin, where members of her family reside.
"The applicant is now seeking to enter Israel together with her son for the purpose of settling in Israel under the relevant procedure. The procedure is intended to allow foreign nationals who are staying in Israel to apply for a temporary residence permit for a short and defined period in order to exercise their rights vis-a-vis the National Insurance Institute.
"The applicant's request to come to Israel now, two years later, together with her son for the purpose of settling in the country does not meet the requirements of the procedure. This was explained to her attorney in full detail. However, an appeal has been submitted and is currently being carefully reviewed."