President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the Israeli government has pledged to allow Filipinos, trapped in the Gaza Strip, to leave Egypt over the weekend.
At a press conference in Malacañang last Friday, the executive leader revealed that Israel’s foreign minister made a commitment in his meeting with the Philippine Ambassador to Israel, Pedro “Junie” Laylo, Jr.
“So they made a commitment to us to allow the pinoys to come out today or (Nov. 4, 2023),” Marcos said aloud in Filipino.
Of the 134 Filipinos remaining in Gaza, 115 are repatriated by the Philippine government.
Those wishing to return home have lately found themselves stuck at the Rafah border waiting for Israel’s permission to cross into Egypt, where they will be repatriated.
“When the time comes to cross [Rafah], they will be [to Cairo] and repatriated,” Marcos said.
He said the government’s efforts to repatriate them were marred by “complications” as some of them are married to Palestinian nationals, who are allowed to leave Gaza by Israeli forces.
“A lot of them don’t know if they need to leave or not because they don’t need to leave their [Palestinian] wife and children,” Marcos said.
The president said he had also approached other Southeast Asian Association (ASEAN) countries so that they could also withdraw their citizens from Gaza.
Initially, two Filipino doctors, members of Médecins Sans Frontières, were due to escape Gaza after Israel allowed foreign passport holders and foreign aid personnel to pass through Rafah earlier this week.
Gaza has lately been under an Israeli blockade after Hamas militant forces introduced their brutal attack from the city into southern Israel last month.
The attack prompted Israel to claim war from Hamas and launch an ongoing counteroffensive in Gaza. Thousands of people have died as a result of the conflict.
Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke by phone on Thursday.
“We will do everything we can in our forces to facilitate the safe exit of Filipinos from Gaza. It’s not that we’re at war. There are also other actors in this confusing situation, such as Egypt and the UN,” Israeli Ambassador Ilan said. Uproar.
He said Israel would only allow Filipinos and Palestinian spouses to leave Gaza. (With further reporting via Malou Talosig-Bartholomew)
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