DFA: 14 out of 56 Filipinos for repatriation to stay in Gaza

The Department of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that 14 of the 56 Filipinos who had already crossed over to Egypt eventually decided to stay and not proceed to Cairo after their Palestinian spouses were not provided security clearance. 

"Our embassy officials are convincing these 14 not to remain behind in Gaza and to join the rest of the Filipinos who will leave in the next batch," the DFA said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said 56 Filipinos had fled the war-ravaged Gaza Strip into Egypt through the Rafah crossing.

The Filipinos were supposed to travel to the Egyptian capital of Cairo, where they would take flights back to the Philippines.

Last week, 42 Filipinos managed to leave the Gaza Strip via Egypt.

The DFA earlier said 134 Filipinos in Gaza, mostly Filipinas married to Palestinians, had sought help to leave the territory amid continuous bombardment by Israeli forces.

However, the DFA said many of these Filipinos told Philippine diplomats that they would stay behind if their spouses were not allowed to join them in Egypt. —VBL, GMA Integrated News