Decisive steps sought after 2 Filipinos die in Israel-Hamas conflict

MANILA, Philippines — Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo has asked the government to take immediate and decisive steps toward assisting Filipinos in Israel and nearby areas after two Filipino nationals were killed due to the Israel- Hamas conflict.

In a statement on Wednesday, Salo, who heads the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, reiterated his call to create a crisis management task force that would address the needs of Filipinos in the region.

Salo said this a day after he filed a resolution asking the executive to create the task force, which will be spearheaded by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

“This unfortunate incident underscores the urgency of our response. We must take immediate and decisive steps to address the escalating situation in Israel and Gaza and ensure the safety of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families,” Salo said.

“In light of this, I reiterate my call for the creation of a dedicated Crisis Management and Response Task Force. This task force will closely monitor the situation and implement a swift and comprehensive response, ensuring the safety and welfare of our kababayans caught in the crossfire and providing the necessary support and assistance for their immediate evacuation and repatriation when needed,” he added.

Earlier, DFA confirmed that two Filipinos had died amid the skirmishes between the Israeli military and forces from the militant group Hamas. 

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo has not yet provided other details on the fatalities, but DFA assured the public that the government will continue providing all possible assistance to distressed Filipino nationals.

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