Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos announced that 40 Filipino nationals had left Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt.
These evacuees will be transported to Cairo and will later be repatriated to the Philippines in the coming days, as reported by the Inquirer.
Pending Approvals for More Filipinos:
Philstar Global reported that 46 Filipinos had received approval to cross the border into Egypt, out of approximately 136 Filipinos residing in Gaza.
While Israel has verbally communicated to the Philippines that Palestinian spouses of Filipinos will be allowed to leave Gaza, written approval is still pending.
Many Filipino nationals in Gaza are hesitant to return to the Philippines due to concerns about leaving their spouses behind.
Casualties in the Conflict:
The Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in four Filipino casualties, with two individuals still unaccounted for, according to reports from Philippine media.
