Metro Manila, October 16 ------ The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised the crisis level in Gaza City to alert level 4 after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was "preparing to implement a wide range of operational offensive plans" against militant group Hamas. "In Gaza, we will put it now under Alert Level 4," DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a press briefing. This means repatriation of Filipinos is now mandatory, he added. "It means we are telling you to please leave and we'll help you leave. But if you don't want to leave, you are there at your own risk," the official said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., meanwhile, vowed that the national government will make every effort to rescue Filipinos and bring them home to their families. "Under this heightened alert, we strongly urge repatriation from Gaza for the safety of our citizens," Marcos said in a statement. According to the DFA, people would be allowed to leave Gaza via the Rafah Crossing which connects to the Egyptian border. Around 78 Filipinos are already at the crossing but Egypt's borders are still closed to foreign citizens. "The only thing is how long will they wait until they'll be able to enter Egypt. From the Egypt side, our embassy is ready to pick them up and repatriate them," he said.
De Vega earlier said 92 out of 137 Filipinos in Gaza are asking to be repatriated, and the first batch of eight Filipinos is expected to fly home on Oct. 16. Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos previously said he was working with his counterparts in Israel and Egypt to identify possible exit routes from Gaza. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it is ready to evacuate Filipinos "should there be any further attack." In a statement on Saturday, the IDF said it was "preparing to implement a wide range of operational offensive plans, which can include combined and coordinated strikes from the air, sea and land."
The DFA last week confirmed the death of a third Filipino due to high tensions in the region.
Source: cnnphilippines.com
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