At least 37 Filipinos from the Middle East will be returning to the Philippines between July 2 and July 5, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced amidst the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DFA) downgrading of the alert status in Israel to Level 2.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Migrant Workers Undersecretary Felicita Bay said that repatriation efforts for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel are still ongoing.

"We are working out on repatriation within this week. On July 2, we are expecting OFWs from Israel and July 3, another 12 OFWs, and on July 5 via Jordan Air we have 26 Filipino workers who will be repatriated," Bay said.

Around 195 OFWs have requested for repatriation as of June 30 according to the DMW, yet many are having second thoughts on returning to the Philippines following DFA's announcement on Tuesday regarding the downgrading of the alert status in Israel from Level 3 to Level 2.

Under Alert Level 2, Filipinos in Israel are instructed to restrict non-essential activities, while returning OFWs with existing employment contracts may return to the country.

Official visits and business delegations may also be allowed, while tourist visits, pilgrimages, and newly-hired workers are still prohibited.

Israel's June 13 attack on key military and nuclear bases around Iran sparked air and missile attacks between the two nations, with US President Donald Trump calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 24. Velle White/DMS