MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday, November 3, welcomed six overseas Filipino workers (OFW) the Philippine government repatriated from Lebanon, a country north of Israel feared to get involved in the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

They met several Philippine labor and welfare attachés during a layover in Abu Dhabi, and arrived in Manila early Friday morning.

The OFWs underwent an initial physical and medical check-up with the Bureau of Quarantine.

The six comprise the second batch of OFWs repatriated from Lebanon after the first four came in on Saturday, October 28. But there are hundreds of OFWs in Lebanon still seeking repatriation – at least 112 out of 162 have permission from their employers to leave, as of Thursday, November 2.

While clashes between Israel and Hamas are concentrated in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza and southern Israel, other Filipino workers who were repatriated from northern Israel recently recounted mental distress they experienced even in only listening to sounds of explosions and helicopters.

Northern Israel faces threats amid fears the war will spill over in Lebanon given the tensions between the Lebanese militia Hezbollah and Israel, which have been exchanging fire since October 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.

Israel, which has occupied Palestinian territories for decades, intensified its assault on Palestine, and has been accused of carrying out indiscriminate attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, killing civilians who include women and children.

Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the US and other countries, attacked Israel in support of Hamas, adding to the deadliest escalation of frontier violence since an Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.

On Thursday, violence spiked at the southern Lebanese border as the Hezbollah in Lebanon mounted multiple strikes on Israeli army positions, while Israel launched air strikes on southern Lebanon.

Repatriation from Lebanon is optional for Filipinos after the Department of Foreign Affairs placed it under Alert Level 3.

Meanwhile, countries across the world have called for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor which would let civilians leave Gaza, which is administered by Hamas but whose borders are manned by Israel. Over 100 Filipinos, many of whom are married to Palestinians, are still trapped in Gaza with their families.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during a press briefing on Friday morning that Israel “promised” the Philippines that Filipinos would be able to leave Gaza by Saturday, November 4, at the latest. – Rappler.com

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