Filipinos in Gaza running out of food, 'eating spoiled bread'

Filipinos stranded in Gaza because of the armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinian miltant group Hamas are running out of food and some have resorted to eating spoiled bread.

According to Jonathan Andal's report on "24 Oras," the affected Filipinos were making do with oat bread they took with them when they fled the violence.

“Oat bread na nadala namin noon nung pagtakas namin. Ito na lang kinakain medyo nga panis-panis na nga. May dala kaming mga bottled water,” a Filipino national said in Jonathan Andal’s report Monday on “24 Oras”.

(We’re eating the oat bread we carried when we escaped. It’s spoiled but that’s our food for now. We also have bottled water.)

“Ang hirap po ng kalagayan namin,” she said.

(Our situation is difficult.)

More than 1,000 individuals have been reported missing and feared to have been  trapped under the rubble more than a week after Hamas launched an attack on Israel.

Latest data showed a total of 2,670 Palestinians died and 9,600 were injured in the war while 1,300 Israelis perished and 3,400 sustained injuries.

Hospitals in Gaza have been reported to only have 24 hours to operate after Israel announced a total blockade of food, electricity, and fuel.

"This means a health disaster. If half of the machines will turn off this night and stop patients from getting treatment, this means a real catastrophe,” said Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, head of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.

Filipinos are hoping that the Gaza-Egypt border in Rafah would be opened soon.

The United Nations has said that the border needed to be opened for its delivert of food, water, medicines, and fuel from Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel.

The Departmenrt of Foreign Affairs is hoping that foreigners be allowed to cross from Gaza especially with the imposition of Alert Level 4 or the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos.

"DFA is hopeful for a diplomatic solution to be reached soonest in order for the Rafah crossing to start receiving foreign nationals, so that our kababayans [countrymen] in Gaza will be allowed to cross into Egypt," DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said.

"From there, our teams will work on their repatriation to the Philippines," he added.

The evacuated Filipinos will be transported to Egypt before their repatriation. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said they would be provided with financial assistance.

“P50,000 per OFW, per family. Kung sa probinsya sila uuwi, bibigyan natin ng transportation kahit eroplano pauwi,” OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio.

(We’ll give each family P50,000. We'll provide transportation allowance if they need to return to the province.)

Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli troops would demolish Hamas.

“Hamas thought we would be demolished. It is we who will demolish Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

Amid the war in Gaza, conflict also ensued between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in the Israel-Lebanon border.

Iran expressed support for Palestine while the US supported Israel.

While Hamas should be eliminated, US President Joe Biden also called for the creation of a Palestinian authority and a Palestinian state. —Sundy Locus/NB, GMA Integrated News