No more Pinoys to exit Rafah border crossing —Sundy Locus/RF, GMA Integrated News

No more Filipinos are expected to cross the Gaza-Egypt border amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants, according to a report by Raffy Tima on “24 Oras” on Wednesday. The Philippine Embassy in Egypt said the remaining Filipinos in the Gaza Strip are now staying in safe areas, and are away from the center of the violent war. On November 2, two Filipino doctors belonging to Doctors Without Borders safely crossed into from Gaza into Egypt. They were followed by 40 more Filipinos on November 8. On November 10, 56 more Filipinos left Gaza, according to President Ferdinand "Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. However, the Department of Foreign Affairs said 14 of the 56 Filipinos decided to stay and not proceed to Cairo after their Palestinian spouses were not given security clearance. On Tuesday, 14 more Filipinos, including four children and a baby, arrived in the Philippines from the besieged territory. They were the third batch of Filipino repatriates. The Rafah Crossing to Egypt's Sinai peninsula is the only exit point from Gaza not controlled by Israel. Trucks bringing humanitarian aid pass through this corridor.Israel has been bombing targets across the Gaza Strip since Hamas fighters carried out an unprecedented deadly attack on communities in southern Israel on October 7. Over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in deadly surprise assaults. An estimated 240 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. More than 11,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza as ground operations of the Israeli forces targeting Hamas forces continue. Refugee camps and hospitals were also hit by the airstrikes, with Israel destroying 25 out of 34 hospitals in the enclave. Meanwhile, some of the repatriated Filipinos and Palestinians expressed concerns over the situation of the civilians caught in Gaza. “It’s not only my family but all the people inside. Anyway, Alhamdulillah (praise be to god). For sure, God is with them. Allah is with them. Insha Allah (God willing),” said Mahmoud Habibi, a Palestinian national.

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