THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday said it is ready to evacuate Filipinos who were affected by the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas. At a Palace press conference, AFP Spokesman Medel Aguilar said two C-130 and one C-295 aircraft were placed on standby and ready for deployment should the Philippine government need the military to bring home distressed overseas Filipinos in the conflict area. Aguilar said the AFP will send the aircraft to two identified "airports of embarkation" where the overseas Filipinos could gather and be fetched. Authorities confirmed that at least two Filipinos have been killed amid the ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and the Hamas group. Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that there were more than 30,000 Filipinos in Israel and over 100 in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Manila Times October 11, 2023 14:49 UTC