Avoid non-essential travel to Israel, Palestine, DFA reminds public

THE Department of Foreign Affairs has reiterated its reminder to Filipinos to avoid non-essential travel to Israel, Palestine and nearby countries in the Middle East due to the volatile security situation in the region.

Countries to be avoided are those placed by the DFA “under Alert Level 2 or with a higher alert level designation,” it said.

Under the DFA’s three-tier alert level system, Alert Level 2 is issued if there are real threats to the life, security, and property of Filipinos arising from internal disturbance, instability, or external threat.

Non-essential travels, according to the DFA, are tourism visits, pilgrimages, temporary stays with relatives and friends, volunteer work, sports events, entertainment, and similar activities.

“These types of travels are discouraged at the moment and may be considered at a later date,” it added.

With this, the DFA cautioned the public against any offer by individuals, organizations, companies, or companies organizing tours, visits and pilgrimages to the restive countries in the Middle East region.

The DFA essential travels are official travels of government officials; official business delegations duly vetted by the Department of Trade and Industry and other government agencies; participation in conferences, seminars, educational activities, scholarship programs and courses sponsored by MASHAV and other Israeli government agencies; and travels of religious missionaries assigned in Israel.

MASHAV is Israel’s international development cooperation program.

To recall, the DFA first raised Alert Level 2 in Israel in October last year following the unprecedented attack by members of Hamas that killed over 1,200 persons and the abduction of more than 200 Israelis and other nationals.

Israel retaliated with massive ground, air and naval assaults on Hamas.

The threat of a wider war in the region increased last month after Iran mounted a retaliatory strike over Israel using drones, cruise and ballistic missiles after Israel attacked a building located within Iran’s consulate complex in Damascus, Syria that killed seven Iranians, including a senior general.

Meanwhile, fighting between Israel forces and Hamas continue in the