41 Filipinos, 7 Palestinian spouses coming home
FORTY-ONE Filipinos and seven Palestinian spouses who crossed to Egypt from Gaza were expected to arrive in the Philippines on Sunday evening, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Ninety-eight Filipinos have crossed to Egypt since the Rafah Border Crossing opened earlier this month, while 16 Filipinos were still undecided about returning to the Philippines, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Jose Eduardo A. de Vega said in a WhatsApp message on Sunday.
He added that 14 Filipinos were set to come home this week, while 23 Filipinos have decided to stay in Gaza.
Gaza’s border authority at the weekend said the Rafah land crossing into Egypt would reopen for foreign passport holders and dependents at 3 p.m. on Sunday after the border closed on Nov. 8 due to security concerns, Reuters reported.
On Nov. 1, the border crossing opened for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7.
The first batch of 35 Filipinos and a Palestinian spouse arrived in the Philippines on Nov. 10.
In a statement on Nov. 10, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said 56 Filipinos crossed to Egypt last week via the Rafah Border Crossing.
The Philippines earlier placed Gaza under Alert Level 4, forcing Filipinos to return to the country. Israel is under Alert Level 2.
Israel launched a barrage of airstrikes in Gaza after Hamas militants backed by waves of rockets stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing about 1,400 Israelis.
Israel has deployed tens of thousands of its troops for a ground assault on the Palestinian enclave and has enforced a blockade.
More than 10,000 Palestinians have died since the war started last month, according to Gaza health authorities. At least four Filipinos have died in the war.
Two babies died and dozens more after fuel ran out at Gaza’s largest hospital on Nov. 11, Palestinian authorities said at the weekend.
Mr. Marcos earlier said Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen had committed to ensure the immediate evacuation of Filipinos trapped in the conflict. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
