DFA 'confident' remaining Filipinos in Gaza could exit within a few days

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday expressed confidence that the remaining Filipinos stranded in war-torn Gaza will be allowed to cross Rafah Crossing to Egypt "within a few days."

“Hindi ko masasabi kung kailan, but we are hopeful, we are confident within a few days. Hindi tayo tatagal ng dalawang linggo doon o 10 araw, makakalusot din ang ating mga kababayan,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita.

(I cannot tell when, but we are hopeful and confident it will be within a few days. It will not take two weeks or 10 days for our countrymen to cross the border.)

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., meanwhile, said Filipinos in Gaza may be able to cross the Rafah border as early as today.

“So, may pangako sila sa atin na maipapalabas na ang mga Pinoy by today or tomorrow, that is what they promised us, Saturday daw at the latest,” Marcos said.

(They promised to allow the exit of Filipinos by today or Tomorrow.)

De Vega believes Filipinos may be prioritized in crossing the border because of the close ties of the Philippines with Egypt and Israel. 

“Nakikiusap tayo nang husto sa kanila dahil mayroon tayong mga diplomatic representations with them,” said De Vega.

(We are having discussions with them through diplomatic representations.)

On Thursday, two of the 136 Filipinos in Gaza successfully crossed Rafah Crossing. The two Filipino doctors are volunteers for the international humanitarian aid group Doctors Without Borders.

They are now safe in Egypt, according to the DFA.

According to De Vega, around 7,000 foreign nationals are allowed to use Rafah Crossing to exit Gaza but only 500 to 600 are allowed to cross the border daily for an orderly process.

De Vega said the DFA also included the names of 19 Filipinos who refused to be repatriated from Gaza—as well as their Palestinian spouses—in the list that it submitted to concerned authorities.

According to him, the exit of 7,000 foreigners via Rafah Crossing may be completed in a span of two weeks.

Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7 have killed at least 8,796 Palestinians, including 3,648 children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Israel launched the strikes after Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing about 300 soldiers and 1,100 civilians, and taking more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Israel sees Hamas, which has vowed to destroy the Jewish state, as an existential threat.

The Israeli military said Tuesday's strikes on Jabalia, Gaza's largest refugee camp, had killed Ibrahim Biari, a Hamas commander it said was pivotal in organizing the Oct. 7 assault, as well as dozens of Hamas militants.

On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had deployed missile boats in the Red Sea following long-range drone and missile attacks claimed by the Houthis in Yemen. —VAL, GMA Integrated News