Evacuation of Pinoys in Gaza called off anew

(Updated 5:35 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - The latest effort to extract 22 of the 108 Filipinos trapped in the Gaza Strip was canceled on Wednesday morning as Israeli attacks intensified in the area. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr., told reporters on Wednesday that the planned evacuation of foreign nationals from at least 16 countries, was called off upon the advice of the Red Cross, which would escort the civilians out of the area. "As of early this morning, all Filipino nationals are unharmed," Conejos said, "Efforts to bring the Filipinos out of Gaza will continue." Wednesday's evacuation plan was to be led by a Canadian mission sent to the area to fetch civilians trapped in the fighting between Hamas militants and Israeli forces. A Filipino woman interviewed by GMANews.TV said the bombings are getting closer and closer to their home, which is just a 15-minute drive from the designated evacuation point in the Erez border. Conejos told GMANews.TV that their proposal to secure a different exit route for the Filipinos in Gaza via the Rafa border in Egypt was not approved by Israeli authorities. The Egyptian government also refused to let civilians enter its borders to seek refuge from the intense attacks and bombings in the area. On Monday, efforts to move out six Filipino nationals - four children, their mother, and a nun - was also called off due to heavy shelling in the area. Philippine ambassador to Israel Petronila Garcia said their failure to get any of the Filipinos out of the area was due to heavy shelling. "The Filipinos who we were supposed to evacuate could not get out of their houses (but) our team will remain on standby. Once Israel authorities say we can extract our nationals, we will go to the area and get them." she said in an interview on dzBB radio. A total of 108 Philippine nationals, mostly children of Filipinas married to Palestinians, reside in the Gaza Strip, a narrow strip of land twice the size of Quezon City that is wedged between Israel and Egypt along the Mediterranean Sea. Of the 108 Filipinos, only Isabelita Balala of Tarlac, is registered as an overseas worker. Tension sparked again in Gaza when the six-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas-backed Palestine was lifted last December 27. An estimated 600 people, mostly Palestinian civilians, were killed in 11 days of heavy fighting. Most of the Filipinas set for evacuation are also caught in a bind as the Israeli government prohibited the exit of their Palestinian husbands. In an interview with GMANews.TV on Tuesday evening, Laila Chavez Salama said most of the 20 Filipina wives in the area are hesitant to leave the Gaza Strip without their husbands. “We are fearing for our lives but I can’t leave my husband. It’s better for us to remain together as a family," Laila said. "Sometimes we just say, ‘Hada min Allah’ (This is God’s will)." (Read about the plight of Filipina wives here.) The DFA has been coordinating with more than two countries, aside from Israel, to facilitate the safe evacuation of the Filipinos. Conejos said Malacañang had already sent Special Envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu to the area to assist in the immediate repatriation of the 108 nationals. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV