Welcome, Kapamilya! We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Continuing to use this site means you agree to our use of cookies. Tell me more!
Smoke billows after a missile launched from Gaza hit a car in Sderot, near the border with Gaza, southern Israel, Oct. 9, 2023. Israeli chief military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Oct. 9 that the country had drafted a record of 300,000 reservists. Atef Sadadi, EPA-EFE
MANILA — At least 70 Filipinos in Gaza are asking to be repatriated, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said they have not repatriated any Filipinos in Gaza because it has been blockaded, as well as its borders in from Israel to Egypt.
“So, it’s now a diplomatic approach; we are using diplomacy along with other countries in order to have the borders open so that we can help iyong mga kababayan natin," De Vega said.
"So we can help countrymen and women, go through the border and kung kailangan ng evacuation, well nandiyan. Kung hindi commercial flights, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as announced, we will be able to fly them home," he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
If these Filipinos will be able to pass through the Egypt border, he said the country's embassy in Cairo would be able to fly them to the Philippines on a commercial flight.
"Remember there are 70, it may increase. These are Filipinas married to Palestinians, they are in Gaza; pero sa Israel mismo, no evacuation is required yet but our AFP is ready,” he said.
The AFP said in the same briefing that it was ready to evacuate Filipinos caught in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
AFP Spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said preparations were in place in case there is a need to execute evacuation operations for Filipinos in the war-torn country.
“We already came up with a plan on how to do it, and this will be a whole-of-nation approach because what is important for us is the safety of our countrymen there in the conflict area,” Aguilar said.
The AFP has identified the Adana Airport in Turkey as a temporary “safe haven” for Filipinos who will be evacuated in case hostilities escalate further in Israel.
ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.
Our website is made possible by displaying online
advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting
us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.
Our website is made possible by displaying online
advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting
us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.
