46 Filipinos in Gaza Strip get approval to leave Israel, says DFA

Department of Foreign Affairs. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that 46 Filipinos in the Gaza Strip were approved to leave the war-torn place in Israel this Tuesday, with 39 already at the border of Egypt.

According to the DFA, seven of the Filipinos are having second thoughts about leaving Gaza, and the embassy is still convincing them to cross the border.

“The situation is 39 [Filipinos] are at the border. There are seven who are having second thoughts about leaving,” DFA Usec. Eduardo de Vega said in a press briefing.

He said that one does not want to leave without his Palestinian wife, while the others prefer to stay in Egypt instead of coming home to the Philippines.

The 46 are the first and second batches of Filipinos to leave the place, as approved last Friday. The first batch was supposed to leave last Sunday, but it was moved to another date due to internal situations, according to the DFA.

The department said the batches consist of nine families and an overseas Filipino worker.

“I am pleased to inform you that today, they all have been approved for crossing today,” De Vega said.

“By tonight, local time, they will have been able to cross into Egypt,” he added.

The DFA noted that the Filipinos will be given a few days in Cairo, Egypt, before flying to the Philippines and that they are expected to be home within the week.

READ: 20 Filipinos to exit Gaza Strip through Rafah border crossing on Sunday — DFA

Once the 46 Filipinos crossed the border this Tuesday, 89 more will be left in Gaza, De Vega said, citing that there is an additional Filipino in their list.

Meanwhile, the DFA also announced that they are just waiting for a written confirmation, but Palestinian spouses of Filipinos in Gaza will also be allowed to cross the border into Egypt.

READ: Fewer Filipinos in Gaza want to leave – DFA

“We are just waiting for the confirmation in writing, but the Palestinian spouses of the Filipinos will also be allowed to leave Gaza,” the undersecretary disclosed.

According to De Vega, the permission for the Palestinian spouses to leave will make it easier for the embassy to convince the Filipinos left in Gaza to cross the border when their time to leave comes.