DFA official: Six Filipinos returned to Gaza Strip

Israeli jeeps maneuver in the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel, October 30, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

MANILA, Philippines — A family of six Filipinos and two Palestinians returned to the Gaza Strip as the Rafah border crossing near Egypt remains closed, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said Tuesday.

According to de Vega, the family cited the lack of enough space in their location in the southern portion of Gaza as the reason for their return to the Palestinian-occupied area.

“Anim ‘yun, anim na Filipino nationals tapos dalawang Palestinian relatives nila, so isang pamilya ng walo,” he said in an interview with Radyo360.

(That’s six Filipino nationals and two of their Palestinian relatives, so a family of eight.)

The DFA official also noted that no foreign nationals can cross the border yet, as only humanitarian aid is allowed to pass the bridge.

The Rafah border crossing is the only way out of the war-torn Gaza.

“Hindi natin alam tuloy, pati ‘yung gobyerno nalilito kung ano ba talaga ‘yung problema sa Rafah border kasi nakakapasok naman ang humanitarian aid,” he added.

(We don’t know; even the government is confused as to what the real problem is at the Rafah border because humanitarian aid is getting in.)

READ: Prosecutor: Impeding Gaza relief aid may be a crime under ICC jurisdiction

Meanwhile, there is no information yet on the status of two missing Filipinos in Israel although according to de Vega, they are “considering them as hostages” as it is one of the likely scenarios that could happen to them.

There are also more than 200 unidentified bodies in Israel, and de Vega hoped that none of them were Filipinos.

De Vega further said that 112 of 155 Filipinos from Israel are set to return to the Philippines in the coming weeks.

READ: Israel pushes deeper into Gaza and frees Hamas captive; Netanyahu rejects calls for cease-fire