Israel Allows Filipinos To Pass Rafah Crossing

The Israeli government has given assurance to the Philippines that it will permit Filipinos to pass through the Rafah Crossing on their way to Egypt.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Philippine embassy have announced the repatriation of several batches of Filipinos from Israel. I Photo: Department of Foreign Affairs

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. made this announcement on Friday, emphasizing the Philippine government's preparedness to evacuate Filipinos from the conflict zone.

President Marcos mentioned that Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines, Ilan Fluss, successfully contacted the Foreign Minister of Israel, and Philippine Ambassador Junie Laylo also held discussions with the Israeli Foreign Minister.

During these conversations, a commitment was made to allow Filipinos to cross the Rafah Crossing.

Marcos stated during a press briefing, "So, they have promised us that Filipinos will be allowed to leave, either by today or tomorrow. They said it will be on Saturday at the latest."

He further stated that all the necessary preparations had been made, including the readiness of Philippine embassy personnel in Cairo, who are currently at the Rafah crossing and prepared to facilitate the departure of Filipinos.

The Rafah Crossing Point serves as the sole crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, located on the Gaza-Egypt border. It was established in accordance with the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.

President Marcos also noted that the Philippine government has offered assistance to citizens of Thailand, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian countries who are stranded at the crossing and seeking to leave Gaza.

He urged other ASEAN countries to collaborate to ensure the safety of their nationals.

He emphasized that Filipinos are among the largest groups present in the area, and it is vital to bring them back to safety. The situation has become complicated for some Filipinos because their Palestinian spouses are not allowed to leave Gaza.

Many Filipinos are facing the difficult decision of whether to leave their spouses and children in Gaza, which has been under heavy bombardment and assault by Israeli forces.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Philippine embassy have announced the repatriation of several batches of Filipinos from Israel.

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