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MANILA - The Philippine government has abandoned an attempt to evacuate Filipinos from the war-torn Gaza Strip as fighting between Israel and Hamas intensified, officials said Monday.
"Plans to have a small group of Filipinos join a Red Cross convoy today (Monday) had to be abandoned due to the dangerous and dire security situation," Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said in a text message to journalists.
He said six Philippine nationals -- four children, their mother and a nun -- were unable to join the convoy.
"We have been advised by our security people to suspend any plans to evacuate our nationals until the situation is normalised," he said.
"All Filipino nationals have been told to remain indoors. No evacuation of any foreign nationals from Gaza has taken place today," he said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs initially said 66 Filipinos wanted to be evacuated but the number went down to six Sunday.
According to the department, there are 108 Filipinos living in Gaza, including children.
It said around 20 were women married to Palestinians and only one was considered an overseas worker.
Conejos said some of the women found it difficult to leave their Palestinian husbands as the Israeli government was allowing only Philippine citizens and their children to leave Gaza.
He said some of the women still retained their Philippine citizenship despite living in the Gaza Strip for 15 years.
Conejos said many of the women also held Palestinian identity cards.
- AFP/ir
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