Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo is talking to counterparts in Egypt and Israel to ask them to “issue permits necessary permits” that would allow Filipinos to pass through the Rafah border crossing.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that on Wednesday, Manalo wrote to Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to again request their governments to issue the necessary permits to allow the safe passage of Filipinos after seeing an advisory announcing that a limited number of evacuees would be allowed to exit Gaza.

Manalo then requested a call with Cohen on Thursday to “follow up his letter and appeal to ensure as soon as possible exit of Filipinos across the border”.

“While it is taking some time to secure permission from relevant authorities for Filipinos to exit Gaza and enter through Rafah, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and the relevant units in our headquarters in Manila, as well as our Ambassadors in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan have been working closely with authorities of Israel and Egypt and are ready to undertake the movement should the list of Filipinos for evacuation from Gaza be approved,” the DFA said in a statement

It has been almost a month since the war between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas began when the border opened on Wednesday.

De Vega said that 134 Filipinos are left in Gaza and 115 are requesting repatriation.

“We’re waiting for Israel’s authority for Filipinos to be allowed in. We’re calling on our friendship with Israel and Egypt so that Filipinos would not have to wait too long, 7,000 have to cross. The intent is for all foreigners to cross,” he said.

De Vega said six Filipinos will be arriving from Lebanon on Friday while 45 Filipinos from Israel will arrive on November 6.

There are 30,000 Filipinos in Israel and there are 17,500 in Lebanon. Jaspearl Tan/DMS