Aerial view captured by a drone displays the destruction in residential areas following a missile attack from Iran on Israel in Tel Aviv. The Philippine government is contemplating raising alert levels in Israel and Iran as the conflict between the two nations persists.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega mentioned that they are already acting as if both countries were on Alert Level 3 or voluntary repatriation. The government is assessing the situation in the affected regions and the safety of Filipino citizens before making a decision to raise the alert levels.

Currently, Israel is at Alert Level 2, indicating restrictions due to real threats to the life, security, and property of Filipinos arising from internal disturbance, instability, or external threat. On the other hand, Iran is under Alert Level 1 as a precautionary measure, issued when there are valid signs of internal disturbance, instability, and/or external threat to the host country.

Israel initiated an air strike on Iran last Friday, labeling it a preemptive action to prevent the Islamic republic from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran claims its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes and is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, unlike Israel.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) mentioned that 26 Filipinos in Israel may be repatriated this weekend via border crossing into Jordan due to the suspension of flight operations. These individuals are part of the 150 Filipinos willing to leave Israel. Additionally, the DFA is coordinating the repatriation of 17 Filipinos who wish to depart from Iran. The Philippine Embassy in Tehran is also facilitating the return of its non-essential diplomatic staff to the Philippines.