12 Pinoys want to leave war-torn Gaza

MANILA, Philippines - Twelve Filipinos in Gaza Strip have expressed interest to leave but only four want to be repatriated, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said yesterday.

Del Rosario said the eight others just want to be brought to Egypt to escape the heavy  bombardment in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

“We think it is quite dangerous for them to travel from where they are in Gaza to the border of Egypt. We are waiting for a ceasefire and the probability that a humanitarian corridor will be established so we can get them out,” he said in a press briefing.

Egypt is working to forge a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

“If this happens we believe that there is an initiative now to put up a humanitarian corridor and that will give us the opportunity to take out our people,” Del Rosario said.

“There are a few of them, about a hundred, and they are already with their family. And we have a mapping in our contingency plan. We know exactly where they are and we are in touch with them,” he added.

The DFA chief said the Philippines is also trying to establish contacts with the Hamas for the protection of the Filipinos in Gaza.

“We actually are dealing with them as a political group and we are trying to establish a contact with them so that we can properly protect our people there,” he said.

According to the Secretary, the DFA is in touch with the Israeli embassy in Manila on the situation of about 41,000 Filipinos – mostly caregivers – in Israel.

“As far as the announcement they made to us they will treat Filipinos as their own citizens.”

The Israeli embassy in Manila said their government regrets the loss of civilian lives in its operation directed at the terror organization –the Hamas who has grabbed power in Gaza.

Israeli Ambassador Menashe Bar-On told The STAR on Tuesday that Israel disengaged from Gaza last 2005 – seven years ago – hoping the people of Gaza would be able to establish their own infrastructures and economy.

“Instead of choosing peace, it has been turned into a base for terror and extremism,” Bar-On said.

The envoy also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives, which he claimed were used as human shields by the terrorists to repel attacks from Israel.

In another statement issued yesterday, Bar-On said the Hamas is also committing double war crimes – aiming their rockets at Israelis while using the Palestinians as human shields.

“Hamas is also holding hostage a number of foreigners that would like to leave the Gaza, amid the on-going events. Even the 120 Filipinos in Gaza are having difficulty leaving Gaza,” the embassy said.