At least seven Filipinos were injured following Iran’s recent missile strikes on Israel, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Aileen Mendiola confirmed Thursday.

In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE's Usapang OFW, Mendiola said five of the injured sustained minor wounds and have since been discharged. One Filipino remains in moderately critical condition with a risk of impaired mobility, while another is in critical condition after undergoing surgery for a dislocated right lung. A second surgery is planned in the coming days.

Mendiola said the injured are receiving treatment in a top-tier Israeli hospital, with medical expenses fully covered by the Israeli government.

The incident follows a surge in hostilities, beginning with Israel's attack on Iran last Friday that reportedly killed Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard missile program. Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israel, killing at least 24 people.

Repatriation

Mendiola added that repatriation of Filipinos from Israel continues, with 26 set to return in the latest batch. She emphasized that repatriation efforts have been ongoing since 7 October 2023, when the conflict in Gaza erupted following a surprise Hamas cross-border attack.

“As of June 12, 1,333 Filipinos have been repatriated,” she said, noting that more may be added depending on the evolving situation.

“Our sign-up for interested fellow Filipinos who wish to be repatriated is ongoing. We’ve already posted the announcement on our Facebook page. Actually, to put this into context, repatriation from Israel has never stopped since October 7.” she said.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), there are currently 30,742 Filipinos in Israel, 1,180 in Iran, and 1,598 in Iraq.

In a related update, the Philippine Embassy in Israel reported that at least 67 Filipinos have lost their homes due to the escalating war. The embassy said it has assisted 74 Filipinos to date.

War continues

The Israel-Iran conflict has now entered its seventh day. On Thursday, Iran launched another wave of missiles, reportedly damaging Soroka Hospital in Beersheba and causing widespread destruction in the Tel Aviv area.

The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed the hospital strike on social media, while hospital officials reported extensive damage and possible casualties. Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service, said at least 47 people were injured by the strikes, with another 18 hurt while rushing to shelters.

In retaliation, Israel claimed to have struck nuclear facilities in Iran, including an inactive reactor in Arak and the Natanz nuclear site. The Israeli military said the Arak strike targeted the reactor’s core seal — critical for plutonium production.

NetBlocks, a global internet watchdog, reported Iran was offline for 12 hours following the attacks, as the Iranian government imposed severe internet restrictions, allegedly due to Israeli cyber interference.

Iranian media later said Israeli hackers briefly took over state television broadcasts, showing footage of women-led protests and calling for civil unrest.

Trump on the fence

U.S. President Donald Trump commented Wednesday on the worsening conflict, saying he had not yet decided whether the United States would participate in Israel’s military operations.

“I may do it, I may not do it,” Trump told reporters. “Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.”

Trump claimed that Iran had signaled interest in holding talks, even suggesting that officials wanted to come to the White House. Iranian officials, however, denied this.

“Nothing is too late,” Trump said, when asked whether it was still possible to pursue negotiations.

WITH AFP