39 Filipinos remain in Gaza amid Israeli-Palestinian conflict

MANILA, Philippines — Over three dozen Filipinos are still in Israeli-occupied Gaza as bombs target Palestinians, more than a month into the conflict.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shared the news on Saturday, a day after the first batch of fleeing Filipinos from Palestine arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 3.

"There are 39 Filipinos still in Gaza... Some of them do not want to leave," said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega in Filipino in an interview by the dzBB.

"Others will only leave if their Palestinian wife or husband will be allowed to leave with them."

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. earlier confirmed the safe exit of 40 Filipinos through Egypt's Rafah crossing.

Around 56 more Filipinos followed suit, bringing the number of successful Pinoy evacuees to 98. Philippine authorities estimate that over 137 Filipinos live within the enclave.

The DFA had placed Gaza under Alert Level 4 last October due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, making evacuation for Filipinos mandatory.

According to De Vega, some Palestinian spouses of Filipinos were not given clearance to leave.

"That is why there are still 39 [Filipinos] left in Gaza," continued De Vega, while stressing that some Palestinians allowed to exit Gaza were not granted entry permits by Egypt.

"For instance, if someone has been cleared by the Palestinian side, when he arrives in Egypt, he has to undergo security check again. Some are not approved even if already given clearance by Israel."

At least 10,000 casualties have been recorded so far by Palestinian authorities following the retaliation of Israeli forces due to the attacks of Palestinian militants such as the Hamas.

The "Operation al-Aqsa Storm," conducted by Palestinian militants, is reportedly a response to attacks by Jewish settlers, along with confrontations in Jenin and the Al-Aqsa mosque. These events have resulted in the tragic loss of over 200 Palestinian lives, further intensified by the ongoing military occupation by Israel.