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DMW: Most Filipinos in Israel safe in shelters amid 'war'

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Palestinians walk inside Erez crossing during the storming of Israeli settlements by militants of the Ezz Al-Din Al Qassam militia, the military wing of Hamas movement, northern Gaza Strip, October 7, 2023. Rocket barrages were launched from the Gaza Strip early Saturday in a surprise attack claimed by the Islamist movement Hamas. Haitham Imad, EPA-EFE." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/overseas/10/07/palestinians-epa-10072023.jpg"/><figcaption>Palestinians walk inside Erez crossing during the storming of Israeli settlements by militants of the Ezz Al-Din Al Qassam militia, the military wing of Hamas movement, northern Gaza Strip, October 7, 2023. Rocket barrages were launched from the Gaza Strip early Saturday in a surprise attack claimed by the Islamist movement Hamas. <em>Haitham Imad, EPA-EFE.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Sunday said there have been no reports of Filipino migrant workers killed or injured in Hamas attacks on towns in Israel on Saturday. </p><p>DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac said agency currently accounting for overseas Filipino workers in Israel, most especially in areas near the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian area governed by Hamas and blockaded by Israel and Egypt.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/10/08/23/world-in-shock-after-attacks-on-israel">World in shock after attacks on Israel</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Mayroon na tayong namo-monitor, ina-account natin na Pilipino, mga OFWs na nandoon. Patuloy lang ang effort natin. We are talking to many of them and mga relatives nila. Isa-isa nating naa-account sila,&quot; Cacdac said over Teleradyo Serbisyo. </p><p>(We are monitoring and accounting for the number of Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers there. Our efforts continue. We are talking to them and their relatives.)</p><p>&quot;May mga shelters, they are safe in their shelters. May ibang nakalikas sa ibang lugar but more often than not, they are safe in their shelters as we continue to account for our OFWs on the ground sa katimugan ng Israel,&quot; he added. </p><p>&quot;Wala tayong reported na nasaktan or nasawi.&quot;</p><p>(There are shelters where there are safe. Some have been evacuated in some places but more often than not, they are safe in their shelters as we continue to account for our OFWs on the ground southern of Israel. There are no Pinoys reported killed or injured) </p><p>So far, he said they were able to monitor around 20 Filipinos outside battle-torn Gaza and the DMW was able to talk to them and their families. </p><p>Cacdac said Filipinos there have expressed the need for emotional and mental support. </p><p>&quot;We talked to them about the situation — at pati yung mga pamilya... Nakakahalubilo namin sila in that sense,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Ang advise ngayon ng Israeli government, may mga shelters. Stay put, hindi pa safe ang second option which is transport, evacuation.&quot;</p><p>(We interact with them. The advise of the Israeli government for now is to seek shelters but stay put since options such as transportation and evacuation were still unsafe.)</p><p>The DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have formed a task force, Cacdac said, to assist Filipinos there. </p><div><strong>PH EMBASSY IN ISRAEL CLOSED </strong></div><p>In a statement, the Philippine Embassy in Israel said it would be closed beginning this Sunday &quot;until further notice, due to the current security situation.&quot; </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/10/07/23/israel-says-22-dead-in-war-after-militants-enter-from-gaza">Israel says 22 dead in &#x27;war&#x27; after militants enter from Gaza</a></li></ul><p>The embassy said Pinoys there could still contact them at +972-54-4661188.</p><p>Palestinian militants had begun a &quot;war&quot; against Israel which they infiltrated by air, sea and land from the blockaded Gaza Strip on Saturday, Israeli officials said, a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.</p><p>Militant infiltration from Gaza, an impoverished enclave home to 2.3 million people, has been rare since Hamas took control in 2007, leading to Israel&#x27;s crippling blockade. </p><p>Gaza is sealed off from Israel by a militarized border barrier.</p><p>Reports showed that Israel&#x27;s military began air strikes on Gaza, after rockets began streaming across the sky from inside the territory beginning at 6:30 am (0330 GMT). </p><div><strong>— with a report from Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2834311" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

DMW Officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said they were currently accounting for the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Israel, most especially in areas near the Gaza strip. 