EVACUATION. Palestinians with their belongings fled their homes in Gaza City after Israel’s military issued an evacuation order on Oct. 13, 2023. The Department of Foreign Affairs is hoping that the Rafah border crossing near Egypt will be opened so that repatriation can begin. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/Tazpit Press Service)
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is hoping that the Rafah border crossing near Egypt will be opened so that people can escape the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“The DFA is hopeful for a solution to be reached soonest in order for the Rafah crossing to start receiving foreign nationals, so that our kababayans (countrymen) in Gaza will be allowed to cross into Egypt,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said in a statement Monday.
The DFA team is working on the repatriation of the Filipinos to the Philippines from the Rafah crossing, she added.
Meanwhile, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a radio interview that 131 Filipinos are currently in the Gaza Strip.
Of the tally, about 78 are in the Rafah border crossing, 30 are still in the southern part of Gaza and the remaining already left northern Gaza or Gaza City.
The DFA said it was working with its partners to request the opening of the Rafah border and an Israel border for humanitarian purposes, he said.
Repatriation for all Filipinos in the area is mandatory after the government raised the crisis warning in Gaza to Alert Level 4 on Sunday.
On Oct. 13, the Israel Defense Forces called on Gaza City residents to evacuate and settle in the area south of the Gaza River, with local reports positing that it could be preparing a ground offensive on the besieged enclave. (PNA)
