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Israeli envoy assures Filipinos' safety amid tension with Iran

Philippines | National

Israeli envoy assures Filipinos' safety amid tension with Iran

By Joseph Pedrajas

Israel's diplomat in Manila said Monday, April 15, assured that Filipinos are safe in Israel as he justified Tel Aviv's rights to take defensive actions against attacks.

Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said he is "happy to enter into a dialogue" with Filipino officials to explain Israel's mechanisms to ensure the safety and security of the people there.

Fluss, who is now in Jerusalem, said everything seems normal in Israel despite threats it is facing from Iran, which launched dozens of drone and missile attacks on the Jewish state over the weekend.

"I'm seeing what's happening now and it's really impressive. It's not like... you feel that it's a country at war," he told reporters in a press conference.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres already warned that the Middle East is now on the brink of a full-scale conflict amid Israel's current war with Hamas militants in Gaza, and its tension with Iran that stemmed from the bombing of its diplomatic compound in Syria.

Israel did not take responsibility for the attack.

The international community, including the Philippines, already called for the deescalation of tension. But Israel remained firm in its stand to defend its state, calling Iran's attack that happened in an unprecedented scale as "unacceptable" and "a breach" to international law.

Israel is "ready to respond. In what kind of response when, where, this is something...which is open. And the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) and our leadership is not sharing with the media," Fluss said.

"Israel has been attacked and Israel has the right to respond," he added.

Related Tags

Ilan Fluss Israel-Iran tension

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