Eight Pinoys, one Palestinian relative leave Gaza for Egypt — DFA

“The Philippine Embassy in Amman guided and facilitated the safe exit of the eight Filipinos and one Palestinian from Gaza. They were fetched by the Philippine Embassy in Cairo at the Egyptian side of the border where they were issued transit visas to Egypt,” Santos said in a message sent to GMA Integrated News.

But a family of eight Filipinos who already had approved exit clearances changed their minds and decided to stay in Gaza with their Palestinian father. Their mother was already in the Philippines, Santos said.

“Another Filipino with approved exit clearance reached the Rafah border crossing, but decided to remain in Gaza when her Palestinian father was not permitted to exit the Palestinian side of the border,” he added.

Santos said only 18 Filipinos remained in Gaza as of Sunday morning.

Of the 137 Filipinos who were in Gaza at the start of the war between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, 119 or 86.86 percent were evacuated by the Philippine Embassy in Amman after the border was reopened and foreigners and dual citizens were allowed to leave, he added.

The war between Israel and Hamas militia based in Gaza, started on October 7 when the Palestinian Islamist group launched deadly attacks on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages.

Israel retaliated with air strikes and later launched a ground offensive in Gaza. — Rey E. Requejo