THE Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday that no Filipino has been reported dead or hurt so far in Israel following a surprise attack from Palestinian militants on Saturday.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said majority of Filipinos in Israel are far from Gaza, where around 2,200 missiles from the Islamist movement Hamas were fired.
“Yung majority diyan, malayo from Gaza (Majority of them are far from Gaza),” he told CNN Philippines’ Newsroom Weekend. “They are usually in Tel Aviv or in other cities like Haifa, some in Jerusalem…Doon mismo sa area (In that area), I believe there’s only a handful.”
De Vega said the Philippine Embassy is waiting for the Israeli government’s call for evacuation.
The strike by the militant group has left around 20 people dead and over 250 injured, according to a report by CNN. Reports also said that militants have entered the Israeli territory.
This has triggered Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war and retaliate with massive strikes against a number of Hamas targets in Gaza.
But Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said that everyone should still be on guard as the Israeli government has yet to take full control of the streets.
“So basically, people have to stay indoors, lock the doors, and wait for further instructions, and certainly not go out,” he told CNN Philippines.
