HIGH TENSION | Lebanon under Alert Level 3, DFA advises voluntary repatriation for Filipinos

October 23, 2023 , 10:17 AM

By Beatrice Puente

(October 23, 2023) – With Alert Level 3 raised in Lebanon, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has advised Filipinos to seek voluntary repatriation amid rising tensions between Israel’s troops and militant group Hezbollah.

DFA undersecretary Eduardo De Vega confirmed the development to the media over the weekend.

In line with this directive, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon posted an online form that Filipinos in Lebanon can fill out if they want to return to the Philippines.

“Due to the heightened tension in the southern border of Lebanon, the Philippine Embassy calls for the voluntary repatriation of Filipino nationals. Interested applicants must fill out the online repatriation form,” read the post last Saturday.

Lebanon is bordered to the south by Israel. Over the past two weeks, Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers have exchanged attacks that affected the southern side of Lebanon and the northern side of Israel. It occurred around the same time that Hamas, a militant group in Palestine, launched a “surprise attack” on Israel.

On Sunday, Hezbollah said 26 of its fighters have died since October 7, as reported by Reuters, describing the recent development as “the worst escalation in violence along the frontier since Israel and the Iran-backed group fought a war in 2006.”

According to a report by the Associated Press, Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Kassem expressed their readiness to respond in case Israel also pushes through with its ground offensive in Gaza.

“Do you believe that if you try to crush the Palestinian resistance, other resistance fighters in the region will not act?” said Kassem. “We are in the heart of the battle today. We are making achievements through this battle.”

Figures from the Philippine authorities showed that around 3,000 Filipinos are based in southern Lebanon.

“We are doing this (repatriation) because the situation is rather tense and we already have seen it years ago in 2006 when we had to repatriate Filipinos in Lebanon,” said De Vega in an interview on CNN Philippines.

Based on the latest DFA advisories, Gaza is still under Alert Level 4 while Israel is under Alert Level 3. Over a dozen Filipinos arrived from Israel last week. Several government agencies promised to provide various forms of assistance like education, livelihood, and medical or psychological support.

Four Filipinos have died in the increasing hostilities between Israel and Hamas.

Following the sudden attack of Hamas last October 7, the Israel Defense Forces retaliated by firing airstrikes on Gaza that killed thousands of people and turned their communities into rubble. Children comprise around half of the 2.3 million population of the Gaza Strip, which is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Independent experts of the United Nations condemned the widespread violence inflicted upon civilians in Gaza and Israel, stressing the need for all sides to respect international humanitarian law.

(PM)

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