The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that 127 Filipinos in Israel have been displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. While 118 of them have already been relocated, efforts are still underway to find housing for the remaining nine, according to DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega.
Speaking in an interview on ANC, De Vega also confirmed that 30 overseas Filipinos—26 from Israel, three from Jordan, and one from Palestine—are on their way back to the Philippines. The group is expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon and is being assisted by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier reiterated the government’s decision to raise the voluntary repatriation alert for Filipinos in both Iran and Israel, citing the heightened danger brought by the escalating hostilities between the two nations.
Tensions intensified following Israel’s surprise “preemptive” strikes on Iran on June 13, which targeted nuclear and military facilities. This prompted Tehran to retaliate and launch missile attacks, including a strike on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar—the largest US military installation in the region.
While US President Donald Trump has claimed that both Iran and Israel have agreed to a staggered ceasefire, fresh attacks on Tehran continued overnight. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded Tuesday, denying the existence of any formal ceasefire deal, but noted that Iran would halt its counterattacks if Israel ceased its strikes.
