Escape from Gaza

Foreign nationals in desperate wait to flee from war

GAZA / JERUSALEM / CAIRO – Israeli forces kept up their bombardment of Gaza on Monday after diplomatic efforts to arrange a ceasefire to allow foreign passport holders to leave and aid to be brought into the besieged Palestinian enclave failed.

Residents of Hamas-ruled Gaza said overnight air strikes were the heaviest yet as the conflict entered its 10th day with an Israeli ground offensive believed to be imminent. Bombing carried on through the day, they said, and many buildings were flattened, trapping yet more people under the rubble. Israeli officials issued multiple warnings of Hamas rocket fire into Israel.

Diplomatic efforts have been underway to get aid into the enclave, which has endured unrelenting Israeli bombing since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants that killed 1,300 people – the bloodiest single day in the state’s 75-year history.

But Israel’s chief military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said there was no Gaza ceasefire and that Israel was continuing its operations. “There are no such efforts under way at this time. If anything changes we will inform the public. We are continuing our fight against Hamas, this murderous organization that carried this (assault) out.”

Israel has imposed a full blockade and is preparing a ground invasion to enter Gaza and destroy Hamas, which has continued to fire rockets at Israel since its brief cross-border assault.

Earlier on Monday, Egyptian security sources had told Reuters that an agreement had been reached to open the crossing to allow aid into the enclave. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement: “There is currently no truce and humanitarian aid in Gaza in exchange for getting foreigners out.” Hamas official Izzat El Reshiq told Reuters there was “no truth” to the reports about the crossing opening or a temporary ceasefire.

On Monday, rocket-warning sirens sounded in several towns in southern Israel, the Israeli military said. Israeli troops and tanks are already massed on the border.

Hundreds of tons of aid from several countries have been held up in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula for days pending a deal for its safe delivery to Gaza and the evacuation of some foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing.

US President Joe Biden has urged Israel to follow the laws of war in its response to the Hamas attacks, and on Sunday said in a post on social media that “the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas’ appalling attacks and are suffering as a result of them.”

In a “CBS 60 Minutes” interview aired on Sunday, Biden also said Israel needed to eliminate Hamas, but warned that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza.

NBC News, citing a Palestinian official, reported the Rafah border crossing would open at 9 a.m. local time (2 p.m. in Manila) on Monday.

Citing a security source, ABC News reported the crossing would open for a few hours on Monday, without providing details. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm either report. Israel has urged exhausted Gazans to evacuate south, which hundreds of thousands have already done in the besieged enclave that is home to more than two million people.

Hamas, which runs Gaza, has told people to ignore Israel’s message. “Hamas has always said that there is no surrender, there is only freedom and justice,” the militant group said in a statement on Sunday.

Palestinians in Gaza said Israel’s bombing campaign overnight was the heaviest since it launched its retaliatory attacks last week. Bombardment was especially heavy in Gaza City, with air strikes hitting the areas around two of the city’s main hospitals, they said. Reserves of fuel at all hospitals across the Gaza Strip are expected to last only around 24 more hours, putting thousands of patients at risk, the United Nations humanitarian office said on Monday.

More killed

The authorities in Gaza said at least 2,670 people had so far been killed by Israel’s retaliatory strikes, a quarter of them children, and nearly 10,000 wounded. Another 1,000 people were missing and believed to be under rubble. US government officials say they are mobilizing to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, anticipating a brutal ground offensive.

Washington is also focused on avoiding a spillover of the conflict, especially with clashes with Lebanon escalating on Israel’s border.

Blinken said leaders in Arab states he visited across the region in recent days were determined to stop the war from spreading. He is also seeking to secure the release of 155 hostages, including Americans, Israel says were taken by Hamas back into Gaza. Iran, which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah, warned Israel of escalation if it kept attacking Palestinians, adding that it could not stay an observer.

Netanyahu has convened Israel’s expanded emergency Cabinet on Sunday, including former opposition lawmakers, in a show of unity. “Hamas thought we would be demolished. It is we who will demolish Hamas,” he said.

Israel’s military, which has massed tanks on Gaza’s border in preparation for a ground offensive, says it is targeting Hamas and its infrastructure in response. Israeli aircraft on Sunday struck about 250 military targets, killing the Hamas southern district commander, the military said.

Israeli military chief Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi told soldiers near the Gaza border they would be entering Gaza to root out Hamas, targeting “every place, every commander, every operator.”

An Israeli blockade has prevented fuel, food and water from entering Gaza, although Netanyahu had agreed with Biden to resume the water supply to parts of southern Gaza, a minister said.

The Israeli military said some 600,000 Gazans had left the northern half of the territory, which includes Gaza City’s more than one million residents. Some Palestinians who went south said they were heading back north because they were attacked wherever they went.

Israeli aircraft bombed areas around Gaza City’s Al-Quds hospital early on Monday, and ambulances at the facility could not move due to the strikes, Palestinian media reported.

Israel on Saturday gave the hospital a warning to evacuate, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said it could not move sick and wounded people out of the facility.

UN relief operations in Gaza “are on the verge of collapse,” said Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the UN agency for Palestinians.

Egypt Oks crossing

In Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Egyptian authorities have agreed to allow Filipinos from Gaza to cross into Egypt through the Rafah border once it opens.

“We’re talking to them (Egyptian authorities) not only to open the border but also to give permission to Filipinos,” DFA Undersecretary for migrant workers affairs Eduardo de Vega told The STAR.

The names of the Filipinos in Gaza, including the 78 now situated near the Rafah border, have been submitted to Egyptian authorities.

“They need visas… permission in case it opens, they can get through. It doesn’t mean (automatic) when it opens the border. They will be in immigration processing on the Egyptian side,” De Vega said.

“All the names of Filipinos in Gaza are already with the Egyptian authorities,” he added.

The names of 20 Palestinian spouses were also submitted but there is no assurance they would be allowed in.

“The DFA is hopeful for a solution to be reached soonest in order for the Rafah crossing to start receiving foreign nationals, so that our kababayans in Gaza will be allowed to cross into Egypt. From there, our teams will work on their repatriation to the Philippines,” the DFA said in a statement.

“The Philippine government continues to work on the repatriation of our nationals and will provide updates on developments.”

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), for its part, said returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Israel would be getting P10,000 in cash assistance upon their arrival at the airport.

OWWA chief Arnell Ignacio also assured Filipinos in Gaza of prompt government help should they opt to return to the country once a humanitarian passage becomes available.

“Immediately, we’ll give them financial assistance upon their arrival because we know they have no money for their needs,” Ignacio said in Filipino at a briefing. “It’s just a matter of scheduling flights.”

The DFA is in charge of repatriation of Filipinos from Gaza since most of them are spouses of Palestinians and not OFWs, Ignacio said. There are 138 Filipinos staying in Gaza, now under alert level 4 or mandatory repatriation.

Aside from the P10,000 financial grant, Ignacio said, active and non-active OWWA members returning from Israel can avail themselves of a wide range of assistance from the government.

He said returning OFWs may opt for livelihood support as well as help in preparing business plans in case they choose to stay for good and set up their own business.

Furthermore, the government is also extending loans to those who want to start a business. Scholarship is also available for returning OFWs whose children are still studying.

According to Ignacio, OWWA has assisted in the repatriation of 15 OFWs staying in Israel but who are not affected by the ongoing conflict.

He said the government has not stopped the search for the three Filipinos in Israel still unaccounted for.

The government, he added, is also working for the repatriation of the remains of three Filipinos killed during the Hamas attack. The repatriation of the remains may take longer than usual because of the current situation in Israel.

Marcos phone call

On Sunday President Marcos made another phone call to the family of one of the Filipino fatalities in Israel – Loreta Villarin Alacre – to relay his condolences and assure them of assistance, including the repatriation of her remains, the Presidential Communications Office said yesterday.

Annabella Alacre, elder sister of Loreta, disclosed that the President called Nelia, another sister of theirs working in Kuwait, also as a contract worker.

Nelia, according to Annabella, requested the President to facilitate her return to the Philippines, as she had not seen her sister for years. The President granted her request.

The exact date of the arrival of the remains of Loreta, however, is not yet clear as her birth certificate is reportedly still being processed. The OWWA needs the document for the transfer of her cadaver from Israel to the Philippines.

“There’s assistance for the family but we will do everything that needs to be done to bring (your sister) home,” Marcos was quoted as telling Nelia in Filipino during their conversation.

He added that Philippine authorities are closely monitoring the situation in Israel.

“All our embassies are on alert, they know your situation, everyone wants to go home so that’s what we arranged first and as long as we are given a chance, we will bring them all home,” the Chief Executive said.

Marcos said the Philippine ambassador to Egypt is now waiting for feedback on the possible opening of a humanitarian corridor so the government can start with repatriation efforts.

The President said the airport in Tel Aviv, Israel is still open but is not yet allowing refugees.

He said the Philippine government is coordinating with Israel for the repatriation of affected Filipinos.

Marcos had already talked to the families of the two other victims and assured them of all government assistance and the repatriation of their remains as soon as borders are opened for refugees. — Mayen Jaymalin, Helen Flores