Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the immediate evacuation of Filipinos willing to leave the war-torn Gaza Strip that has been under massive Israeli attack over the last days, the government said on Sunday.
In a government statement, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza was quoted that President Arroyo has directed all concerned government agencies, particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs, to ensure that the Filipinos are "kept out of harm's way."
On the same day, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that of the 121 Filipinos living in Gaza Strip, 70 have agreed to be evacuated and repatriated to the Philippines.
Esteban Conejos, Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said the Philippine Embassy in Israel has already arranged the Filipinos' flights back to Manila. The Filipinos, mostly women and children, are expected to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday.
"We have booked flights for 70 Filipino nationals, including one overseas Filipino worker, who have agreed to leave Gaza and be repatriated to the Philippines. The plan is to move them on Monday out of Gaza and into Amman, (Jordan), from where they will take their flight to Manila," Conejos said.
Manila will seek assistance of the International Organization of Migration to help the Philippines move the remaining Filipinos out of Gaza Strip, said the official.
"There is a war going on and Israel has commenced ground operations. You can't get more extreme than that," Conejos said.
Twenty-one Filipino families or about 121 Filipinos, including children, are living in Gaza, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Despite the danger, some Filipinos with Palestinian spouses refused to leave Gaza. Israeli authorities allow Filipinos to leave Gaza Strip and cross the Palestinian border into Jordan, but not their Palestinian spouses.
After days of clashes, more than 20,000 Israel Defense Forces troops have entered Gaza in a bid to trounce Hamas militants inside the tiny Palestinian territory.
No Filipino has been reported injured when the ground assault began, Conejos said.
Troops entered Gaza at the northern end of the Gaza Strip, and included members of the infantry, tank units, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence, reports said.
Filipinos living near and within the Gaza Strip are advised to stay indoors and to keep in touch with the Philippine embassy.
Since Israel unleashed its air and sea campaign, more than 400 Palestinians have been killed, including children, and left 2,150others wounded.
The Israeli bombardment has also demolished dozens of houses and heightened concern over the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave where most of the 1.5 million residents depend on foreign aid.
The Israeli army says Palestinian militants have fired more than 300 rockets and mortars at Israeli targets over the past two weeks.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said there is no need to move the 30,000 Filipinos working across Israel.
Source:Xinhua
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