DFA: Alert level 3 raised in Gaza; repatriation for Filipinos now voluntary
MANILA, Philippines — The crisis alert in Gaza has been raised to Alert Level 3, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega confirmed to INQUIRER.net on Thursday.
“This means that the government is calling on Filipinos to consider repatriation on voluntary basis,” he said.
The official said that the DFA will not divulge plans on how the Filipinos in the Palestinian city will be repatriated and who will assist them with their exit from the country.
“We will not divulge plans,” de Vege said in a text message.
He further confirmed that Gaza is currently on blockade, and no one can come in and out as the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas continues.
Israel, on the other hand, remains at Alert Level 2, meaning the deployment of overseas Filipino workers is halted and non-essential movements are restricted.
Seventy out of 137 Filipinos in Gaza are currently seeking repatriation, while 30,000 are still in Israel.
De Vega likewise confirmed in a Radyo360 interview that the DNA test result of a fatality who may be Filipino is not yet available.
As of the time of writing, there are two confirmed Filipino casualties and three missing amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
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