More Filipinos in Israel seeking repatriation
Members of Israeli security forces work at an impact site following Iran’s strike on Israel, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Nes Ziona, Israel, June 22, 2025. (REUTERS)
MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos in Israel expressed their intent to return to the country, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Aileen Mendiola said Monday, as Jewish state faces continuous Iranian missile strikes.
“So far, we have 253 repatriation requests, but the 50 confirmed that they want to leave, so we catered to them first,” Mendiola said in Filipino over radio DZMM.
Mendiola said these 50 Filipinos will be repatriated in the coming days.
“Hopefully, if we can, we could bring them to the border [of Jordan] tomorrow (Tuesday),” she said.
So far, Mendiola said the embassy assisted around 100 Filipinos who crossed the Jordanian border for safety.
The official further said that an additional 32 Filipinos had their homes damaged due to strikes, bringing the total affected citizens to 127.
These additional displaced Filipinos were able to go to bomb shelters, she said.
Of the 127, Mendiola said 118 of them were relocated, while the embassy is still working on the resetting of the other nine.
Mendiola said that the number of injured Filipinos in Israel is at eight, among them, an unidentified female caregiver who remains in critical condition.
To prevent such casualties, the Department of Foreign Affairs urged Filipinos to voluntary repatriate, and Mendiola said 253 expressed intent to heed the preventive move, an increase to Sunday’s total of 223.
In anticipation of another retaliation from Iran, Mendiola said Israel returned under the “limited mobility” category which was first raised on June 13, but had been relaxed thereafter.
The exchange of strikes began after Israel attacked nuclear and military sites in Iran just after midnight of June 13, prompting the latter’s retaliation.
So far, Iranian-state media reported at least 430 fatalities while Israeli authorities reported 24 deaths. /gsg
