MANILA (UPDATED) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday said it is readying its aircraft in case Philippine authorities will tap them to help with the repatriation of Filipinos caught in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesperson, told ANC that the military would use two C130 and one C295 transport planes for possible evacuation efforts in case the situation further escalates.

"We have to deploy our own aircraft there to make sure they can be transported a short distance. From the temporary safe haven, they can now fly through commercial aircraft going back to the Philippines," Aguilar said.

As of early this week, all 131 Filipinos in the Gaza Strip have left the area after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ordered mandatory repatriation of Filipinos from Gaza City.

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The Filipinos are expected to cross the border into Egypt and they will be met by Philippine government officials who will work to get them back to the country.

At least 35 Filipinos in Israel meanwhile wanted to be repatriated, and they might arrive in the Philippines "hopefully within this week," Department of Migrant Workers officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said Monday.

Cacdac said the Filipinos would depart from the Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv to return to the country.

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Meanwhile, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. stated that they have not monitored any security threats in the Philippines amid reports of sympathizers of the Hamas group in the country.

According to Brawner, in his visit to Marawi City for the 6th anniversary of the city's liberation from the Maute Group, local officials assured him that they have not monitored groups with intent to cause trouble.

"We alerted also our various units especially in the areas where we have experience this kind of terrorism so sabi namin magbantay kayo be vigilant kapag may narinig tayo na mga reports na ganiyan we should address that right away,” Brawner said.

The AFP leader also appealed to Hamas sympathizers: "Ang panawagan namin sa ating mga kababayan, perhaps na nag-iisip na sumama doon sa jihad na tinawag ng Hamas ay huwag na po ninyong ituloy ang balak ninyo because we are already experiencing peace in our country."

-- with a report from Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News