EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / A member of the Palestinian security forces carries a child, wounded by Israeli airstrikes, into Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 11, 2023. Israel on October 11 kept up its bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a political rival announced an emergency government for the duration of the conflict that has already killed thousands. (Photo by Mohammed ABED / AFP)
The Philippine government placed Gaza under Alert Level 3 amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Sunni-Islamic extremist Hamas, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday.
According to DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs, Eduardo de Vega said alert level 3 means the government may carry out voluntary repatriations of Filipinos in Gaza.
"Gaza is under Alert Level 3, which means the government is calling on Filipinos to consider repatriation on a voluntary basis," De Vega told Daily Tribune.
Of 137 Filipinos in Gaza – the epicenter of the Israel-Hamas conflict – at least 70 were reportedly requesting repatriation.
Meanwhile, De Vega noted that Israel remains under Alert Level 2 following the deaths of two overseas Filipinos in the Middle Eastern country.
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Under the said alert level, a restriction on new deployment will be implemented. Non-essential movement for Filipinos in the country is also heavily discouraged.
There are almost 30,000 Filipinos who consider Israel their second home. Most of them work in the caregiving, hospitality, engineering, and healthcare industries.
De Vega said that there hasn't been a request for repatriation from Filipinos in Israel yet.
