MANILA: The first group of 34 Filipinos evacuated from Gaza reached Manila on Friday, with some forced to leave their family members behind.
Of the 136 Filipinos trapped in Gaza since Israel began its daily bombardment of the densely populated enclave last month, so far 82 have been evacuated to Egypt through the Rafah crossing.
The remaining ones have also received clearance from Israeli authorities to leave, but according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, many have decided to stay as Israel has not allowed their Palestinian relatives to cross the border.
Most of the Filipinos in Gaza are permanent residents. Two-thirds of them are Palestinian Filipinos who were born or raised there.
One of the evacuees, Lucina Al-Qadiri, a nurse who has been living in Gaza since 2012, told Arab News upon arrival at Manila airport that it was her Palestinian husband who requested her to leave.
“What you see on TV, it’s true … People there are getting pulverized,” she said. “My husband is in the UAE, but my eldest son is still there in Gaza.”
Her son could not join her as his wife, a Palestinian national, was not granted clearance to leave.
“He has a newborn baby, born Oct. 6. The baby had problems with breathing,” Al-Qadiri said.
“I really tried with the Philippine Embassy to bring my daughter-in-law, because they did not include Palestinian spouses … It was very inhumane. My son wouldn’t agree to leave his wife behind. I also wouldn’t allow it.”
Al-Qadiri no longer knew where they were.
“There’s no network, no electricity,” she said. “I’m praying to God that they will be in the next batch (of evacuees).”
Minerva Sabah, who is married to a Palestinian academic, also returned to the Philippines alone.
Her husband was not approved to leave, she told Arab News, not knowing when she would be able to see him again and whether they would have anything to get back to.
“I’m not sure if my house will still be standing there when we return,” she said.
Authorities in Gaza estimate that more than 50 percent of all residential units in the besieged enclave have been damaged or rendered uninhabitable.
More than 10,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7.
“No one is safe there. We had no electricity, no food, and everything is closed,” Isabelita Balala, another evacuee who was working in Gaza, told Arab News.
“We’d just tremble whenever there were explosions. Whenever they bombed, it was really intense. Gaza is gone, they pulverized it.”
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‘No one is safe there’: First Filipino evacuees from Gaza reach Manila
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‘No one is safe there’: First Filipino evacuees from Gaza reach Manila
- Two-thirds of Philippine nationals in Gaza are Palestinian Filipinos who were born or raised there
- Evacuees say that both people and buildings in Gaza are getting ‘pulverized’ by Israeli strikes
Pressure builds for answers over Swiss bar fire after victims identified
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All 40 victims of New Year fire now identified
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Prosecutors say ‘fountain candles’ likely cause of blaze
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Most of victims of bar fire were teenagers, youngest 14
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Couple who ran the bar under criminal investigation
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland: Pressure was building for answers on Monday from the investigation into a New Year bar fire in a Swiss ski resort that killed 40 people, after authorities said they had now identified all the victims, most of whom were teenagers.
The Alpine getaway of Crans-Montana in the canton of Valais united in mourning on Sunday with condolences coming in from leaders ranging from Pope Leo to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Prosecutors said the fire that spread rapidly in the early hours of January 1 was likely caused by sparkling candles igniting the ceiling of the bar’s basement.
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
Authorities are investigating the two people who ran the bar on suspicion of crimes including homicide by negligence. On Sunday, police said circumstances did not currently merit them being put under arrest and they did not see a flight risk.
On Monday morning, Swiss newspaper Blick said anger over the case was growing.
“Why are the couple running the bar free?” the paper said on its front page, pasted over a photo of mourners and media gathered around the huge pile of flowers left in front of the “Le Constellation” bar.
The youngest victims of the blaze, which also injured well over 100 people, were only 14 years old, and the dead were from all around Europe, including several from France and Italy. Swiss authorities have not named the victims.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said in a social media post that “in civilized Switzerland, the prison gates will have to open for quite a few people.”
Salvini said there had been a failure to ensure the bar’s basement was safe, questioning the emergency systems and whether there had been enough inspections.
SILENT PROCESSION
Aika Chappaz, a local resident who took part in a silent procession through the town on Sunday, said justice must be done for the sake of future generations.
“It’s crucial that such a tragedy never happens again. And the investigation must be thorough, because it’s so unbelievable,” she said.
Tages-Anzeiger, another leading Swiss newspaper, said questions must be answered about the age checks at the bar, the soundproofing material used in the basement and the standards governing use of the so-called fountain candles.
One of the bar’s two operators, Jacques Moretti, told Swiss media that Le Constellation had been checked three times in 10 years and that everything was done according to the rules.
Valais authorities say investigators were checking if the bar had undergone its annual building inspections, but that the town had not raised concerns or reported defects to the canton.
All 40 victims of New Year fire now identified
*
Prosecutors say ‘fountain candles’ likely cause of blaze
*
Most of victims of bar fire were teenagers, youngest 14
*
Couple who ran the bar under criminal investigation
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland: Pressure was building for answers on Monday from the investigation into a New Year bar fire in a Swiss ski resort that killed 40 people, after authorities said they had now identified all the victims, most of whom were teenagers.
The Alpine getaway of Crans-Montana in the canton of Valais united in mourning on Sunday with condolences coming in from leaders ranging from Pope Leo to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Prosecutors said the fire that spread rapidly in the early hours of January 1 was likely caused by sparkling candles igniting the ceiling of the bar’s basement.
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
Authorities are investigating the two people who ran the bar on suspicion of crimes including homicide by negligence. On Sunday, police said circumstances did not currently merit them being put under arrest and they did not see a flight risk.
On Monday morning, Swiss newspaper Blick said anger over the case was growing.
“Why are the couple running the bar free?” the paper said on its front page, pasted over a photo of mourners and media gathered around the huge pile of flowers left in front of the “Le Constellation” bar.
The youngest victims of the blaze, which also injured well over 100 people, were only 14 years old, and the dead were from all around Europe, including several from France and Italy. Swiss authorities have not named the victims.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said in a social media post that “in civilized Switzerland, the prison gates will have to open for quite a few people.”
Salvini said there had been a failure to ensure the bar’s basement was safe, questioning the emergency systems and whether there had been enough inspections.
SILENT PROCESSION
Aika Chappaz, a local resident who took part in a silent procession through the town on Sunday, said justice must be done for the sake of future generations.
“It’s crucial that such a tragedy never happens again. And the investigation must be thorough, because it’s so unbelievable,” she said.
Tages-Anzeiger, another leading Swiss newspaper, said questions must be answered about the age checks at the bar, the soundproofing material used in the basement and the standards governing use of the so-called fountain candles.
One of the bar’s two operators, Jacques Moretti, told Swiss media that Le Constellation had been checked three times in 10 years and that everything was done according to the rules.
Valais authorities say investigators were checking if the bar had undergone its annual building inspections, but that the town had not raised concerns or reported defects to the canton.
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