Alert Level 3 in Gaza Strip eyed – DFA
People walk around the ruins of a building destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 8, 2023. Fighting between Israeli forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas raged on October 8, with hundreds killed on both sides after a surprise attack on Israel prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to warn they were “embarking on a long and difficult war.” (AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said that the Philippine Embassy in Amman, Jordan has recommended placing the Gaza Strip in Palestine under Alert Level 3.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the proposal has already been forwarded to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Ni-recommend na ng Embassy ng gawing Alert Level 3 ‘yung Gaza (the embassy recommended placing Gaza under Alert Level 3), meaning voluntary repatriation, which also means restricted phase na ‘yan,” said De Vega in a press conference.
While not yet final, De Vega declared that Gaza is already under the proposed alert level in principle.
“We are going by that, parang de facto, kahit hindi pa officially pinirmahan ni Presidente o in-announce (even if it hasn’t been signed by the President yet), we can say that it’s under voluntary repatriation na,” he said.
De Vega explained that all Filipinos in Gaza are married to Palestinians, and are not necessarily overseas Filipino workers.
“The only issue is well voluntary repatriation but how to repatriate them, because that’s what we’re working on diplomatically – it’s not a simple matter of magpapadala ng eroplano maghire ng charter ng eroplano kasi wala ngang flights or even ships,” added De Vega.
“The normal way to get out of Gaza is through the borders of Israel which is obviously closed,” he added.
When asked why Gaza wasn’t placed under alert level 4, which makes repatriation mandatory, De Vega responded that it was due to the fact that similar conflicts always occur between Gaza and Israel.
“This is a situation which is sadly kind of a regular thing, which Filipinos in Palestine know about,” said De Vega.
“Pero (but) it could still go up,” he added.
The DFA earlier said that nine families ort 38 Filipino nationals in the Gaza Strip have already signified their willingness to be repatriated amid the rising tension in Israel.
