Filipinos in Gaza collect rain amid limited water supply

While they were able to buy food, Filipinos trapped in Gaza have started to collect rain amid the limited water supply.

According to Jonathan Andal and Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras,” the Philippine Embassy in Israel met with the Filipinos following reports they resorted to eating spoiled bread as food supplies in the war-stricken region began running out.

Hundreds of foreign nationals, including more than 50 Filipino children, fled to the Rafah Border Crossing in hopes of safe passage to Egypt amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. However, the border remains closed.

“It could be any day now na magbubukas. Kailangan handa yung ating mga kababayan,” said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega.

(It could open on any day. Filipinos should be ready.)

“Kasi baka may lumusot na terrorist papuntang Egypt o kaya naman may papasok na humanitarian aid na hindi naman humanitarian aid kundi ammunitions para sa giyera laban sa Israel,” he said.

(Terrorists may enter through Egypt or ammunition posed as humanitarian aid may enter Gaza.)

De Vega also said some Filipinos opted to stay in Gaza because of their Palestinian partners.

“Kahit na ba Alert Level 4, hindi natin makakayang kunin sapilitan. Kung mananataili sila doon, parang may babala na take care for your safety,” he said.

(We cannot force them to go home. But if they opted to stay, they should take care of their safety.)

The Philippine Embassy in Egypt had rented buses that would transport the stranded Filipinos to a hotel in Cairo once the Gaza-Egypt border opened. They will stay there for one to three days before their repatriation to the Philippines.

Hamas militants carried out their deadliest attack in Israel's history on October 7, when gunmen rampaged through Israeli towns, killing more than 1,000 people and taking scores of hostages to Gaza.

On the 11th day of the attacks, Israel Defense Force spokesperson Major Libby Weiss said there would be no humanitarian ceasefire and Israel would not stop its retaliation against Hamas.

“I cannot imagine truly any country in the world that would experience a massacre like this. And then would not feel compelled to go after the people who did this and make sure that it doesn't happen again,” she said.

Asked about the condition of Filipinos in Israel, Weisss answered: “If I know anything about the Filipino people and I don't pretend to know, but just from what I see from the horrors of the typhoon, I know that Filipinos are very strong people”.

“We are all devastated with what's going on here but we also understand that Hamas can't keep doing this. We understand that we need to fight them and we need to make sure that what happened then cannot happen again and that the rockets don't keep firing for Israel and all of these things,” she said.

Sirens interrupted Blinken, Netanyahu meeting

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken witnessed the conflict after sirens cut his meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening.

The officials hid in a bunker for 15 minutes before moving to the Defense Ministry’s Command Center where they agreed to help the civilians caught up in the war.

“You know, our deep commitment to Israel's right, indeed its obligation, to defend itself and to defend its people. And in that, you have always had the support of the US,” said Blinken.

US President Joe Biden is set to visit Israel on Wednesday. He will go to Jordan to deliver humanitarian aid and clarify to world leaders the Hamas group does not represent Palestinian rights.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News