MANILA — Search and rescue operations are underway for the 3 Filipinos in Israel who are still missing amid the war with Hamas militants in Gaza, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

"Maaaring dinakip sila at dinala ng mga Hamas sa Gaza kaya ngayon may search and rescue ang Israeli Defense Force or IDF dahil ilan ang kinuhang mga hostages ang Hamas," DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told Teleradyo Serbisyo.

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Asked if these Filipinos are being held hostage by Hamas militants, De Vega said it was "possible."

"Maaari, pero sana inaasahan natin wala sila doon. Nawala lang sa Israel. May pag-asa pa sana," he said.

De Vega last week said President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. directed the DFA to other governments to seek "critical assistance in looking for Filipinos unaccounted for" and to help them get out of Gaza.

Three Filipinos have so far been killed in Israel in attacks on October 7 by Hamas fighters staging out of Gaza.

At least 22 of the over 30,000 Filipinos currently in Israel have expressed their intention to go back to the Philippines, De Vega earlier said.

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PINOYS IN GAZA

Meanwhile, there are 135 Filipinos in Gaza, De Vega said, but there is no way in to rescue or repatriate them for now.

In a public briefing, the same official noted that authorities were banking on the opening of the Rafah Border Crossing, the point between Gaza and Egypt, which could be used as a humanitarian corridor during the war.

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But they are preparing Filipinos in Gaza for this possibility, he said, as the Israeli government said this would be opened "any day now."

They already submitted their names to the Egyptian government for entry, he said.

"Ang worry natin, hindi yung corridor. Pero kung gaano sila katagal ipo-process doon sa Egyptian side para sa kanilang visas na pending na ngayon sa Egyptian government," the official said.

"Ang walang guarantee sa northern Gaza at sa city ng Gaza kaya nananawagan kami — kung may Pilipino man, please leave and go to other parts of Gaza close to the border," he said.

The Israeli military on Monday raised the figure to 199 people confirmed to have been abducted by Hamas to the Gaza Strip in the militants' cross-border attacks which sparked a devastating war.

At least 1,400 people have been killed in Israel and 2,750 in retaliatory strikes on Gaza, according to tolls from officials on both sides.

The Israeli military has said the bodies of some 1,500 militants were located in the wake of the attacks.

— with a report from Agence France-Presse

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