5 Pinoys on way home to PH after West Bank exit —embassy
By Raymund Antonio and Raymund Antonio
Five Filipinos have successfully exited West Bank and crossed the border to Jordan amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine militant group Hamas, the Philippine Embassy in Jordan said.
Smoke rises during clashes between the Israeli military and Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Nov. 9, 2023. (Photo by Aris MESSINIS / AFP)
In a Facebook post, the embassy shared that they are expected to be back in the Philippines on Thursday, Nov. 23.
“The Philippine Embassy provided transportation to the five Filipinos, who were fetched at their respective residences in the West Bank and brought to the Allenby border crossing on the Israeli side, where they were met and assisted by Amman PE (Philippine embassy) officers and personnel who facilitated their entry to Jordan through the King Hussein bridge crossing,” the embassy said.
The crossing to the Jordanian side of the border through the King Hussein Bridge, border of the West Bank and Jordan, was facilitated by Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos, who led the embassy team.
Santos and his team also met with met with King Hussein Border Authority Head Col. Rafat Al Maietah “to express their gratitude for the assistance extended to the Philippine Embassy and to discuss the possible crossing of more Filipinos from the West Bank when the situation in the area further escalates.”
The first batch of Filipino repatriates from West Bank arrived in the Philippines on Nov. 9.
Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has run for more than 15 years, but it has surged further recently because of the Israel-Hamas war.