DFA: 1 Pinoy abducted, several missing in Israel-Hamas conflict By MICHAELA DEL CALLAR

A Filipino was reportedly abducted, while six others were reported missing in the ongoing armed conflict between Hamas and Israel, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday. In view of the volatile security situation in Israel, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv has issued an advisory recommending that all travel from the Philippines to Israel be postponed indefinitely, or until such time that the situation has stabilized. Citing report from the Embassy, a Filipina reached out to Filipino diplomats and said that "she recognized her husband in one of the videos circulating in social media, which shows a man being held by armed individuals, and most likely brought to Gaza." "Post urgently relayed this to the Israel military authorities. Post cannot independently verify his identity based on the video alone but considers the report of the wife as important. We are also working with community contacts on his case," the DFA said. A total of seven Filipinos, including the one reportedly abducted by Hamas fighters, remain unaccounted and cannot be contacted via their mobile number and social media accounts, it added. In an interview with reporters, Anthony Mandap, Philippine embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, said the seven are overseas Filipino workers. There are currently 30,000 Filipinos, mostly caregivers, in Israel. For their safety, Filipinos were advised to stay indoors and follow instructions by local authorities. At least 1,100 were reported killed and thousands were wounded on both Israel and Gaza following Saturday's surprise attack by the Hamas and Israel's retaliatory strikes. As of Monday, 22 Filipinos, who sought help from the embassy, have been rescued and transferred to safer areas or housed in hotels. Of this number, one is being treated in a hospital in Be’ersheva for moderate injuries sustained during the rescue. Another Filipino was treated for smoke inhalation and moved to a hotel in Tel Aviv. Both have been visited by the Labor Attaché and Welfare Officer who provided assistance and essential supplies, the DFA said. "The embassy is working non-stop with Israeli security authorities and community contacts to ascertain their condition. We continue to await feedback from them," the DFA said. Despite the situation, Filipinos living in Israel are currently not requesting for immediate repatriation. However, the Embassy said it has a repatriation plan in place and is ready to implement the same if needed.—LDF, GMA Integrated News

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