3 Filipinos still in Gaza City, DFA says --- By GISELLE OMBAY, GMA Integrated News

Three Filipinos are still in war-torn Gaza City despite the implementation of a mandatory evacuation by the Philippine government under Alert Level 4, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday. “We’d like to correct something we’ve been saying. We’ve been saying all Filipinos have been evacuated to the south. There are apparently still three Filipino nationals in Gaza City, including a father and child who are in the hospital. So, that’s a concern,” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said in an ANC interview. The DFA placed Gaza City under Alert Level 4 on October 15 amid the ground offensive of Israeli forces against Hamas militants there. The agency back then said that some Filipinos were situated near the Rafah border crossing near Egypt, while the rest have left northern Gaza or Gaza City, which is expected to be the main site for hostilities. “Everywhere is critical… Of course, the southern part is where it's supposed to be safer but our kababayan themselves say they're hearing airstrikes. It’s not as bad as the northern Gaza,” De Vega said. Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos said Tuesday that the 136 Filipinos in Gaza affected by the war between Israel and the Hamas group have remained safe and accounted for as they await repatriation and make do with limited food and water. In Israel, De Vega said that two Filipinos remain missing—one is an Israeli passport holder, while the other person is most likely taken hostage. A total of 59 Filipinos, plus two infants, have so far returned back to the Philippines from Israel. The DMW chief also said another batch of repatriates is expected to leave Israel on Thursday. Meanwhile, 120 more Filipinos in Israel have requested government assistance to return to the Philippines amid the ongoing war, according to Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac on Tuesday. West Bank, Lebanon De Vega also said that voluntary repatriation might also be implemented in the Israeli-occupied West Bank where there are 122 Filipinos. “It’s currently at Alert Level 2. We might call on voluntary repatriation,” De Vega said. He added that four Filipinos in the West Bank have already expressed their willingness to go home to the Philippines. De Vega also reported that the number of Filipinos in Lebanon who wish to be repatriated has increased to 113. DFA raised Alert Level 3 (voluntary repatriation) in Lebanon on October 21 due to the rising tension between Israel and Hezbollah militants. —VAL, GMA Integrated News

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