The Philippine government on Thursday placed Gaza under Alert Level 2 as it prepares to evacuate Filipinos who wish to return home due to the escalating conflict between the Israelis and the Hamas militants.
In a situation bulletin issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), it placed Gaza under the category of “restriction phase” where Filipinos are advised to avoid unnecessary travel and prepare for possible evacuation.
There are 91 Filipinos in the Gaza area while 29,473 Filipinos are in Israel, according to the data provided by the DFA.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassies in Tel Aviv, Amman, and Cairo are jointly monitoring the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip and are prepared to assist Filipino nationals who may be affected by the ongoing conflict,” the DFA said in the advisory.
The DFA informed the Filipinos in both Israel and the Gaza Strip that the Department is “on standby” with evacuation measures ready to be activated as needed and as soon as the borders open and a humanitarian corridor is established.
Since the escalation of the fighting began on May 10, the Philippine government has not received any report of Filipino casualties or injured in Israel, the Gaza Strip, or the West Bank.
Latest reports indicated that 228 people have been killed on the Palestinian side, including more than 60 children, and 12 on the Israeli side.
In emergency situations, the DFA urged all Filipinos in Israel and the Gaza Strip to contact the nearest Philippine Embassy in their respective area or through their social media sites.