Two alleged operatives of the Hamas militant group now at war with Israel were in the Philippines and attempted to operate and ally themselves with local extremists in 2018 and 2022, according to the National Security Council.
NSC assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said one was a bomb expert who was arrested and deported five years ago.
Malaya revealed that based on the PNP investigation, the Hamas operatives who tried to infiltrate the country had four main goals. “We know that Hamas is a terrorist organization, that’s why it was declared as such by the United States, European Union, Australia and many other countries,” he said. “We stopped them. So this declaration of Hamas as a terrorist organization is to protect our countrymen. This is also a domestic act to ensure our security and prevent any Gaza-like scenario,” he said.
“This is a clear message by the Philippine government that we won’t allow Hamas to operate here,” he stressed. “We are making sure of the safety of our countrymen and… we are expressing our solidarity with the state of Israel with whom we have had a long and fruitful relation.”
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
BSP on guard as Israel-Hamas war escalatesThe Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is closely watching the impact of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas on global economic growth, oil prices and the movement of the peso.
Read more »
Hamas: Don't panic, but brace for the worstFIRST, our leaders and government should take care with public statements, especially those likely to provoke extremist reprisals against not just the reported 450 Filipinos in the war zone in and around the Gaza Strip in southern Israel since the massive October 7 surprise massacres and rocket attacks on the nation by the Gaza-based Palestinian...
Read more »
Israel 'at war' as Hamas gunmen launch surprise attack from GazaThe Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday, killing more than 20 people in a surprise assault that combined gunmen penetrating into Israeli towns with a barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.
Read more »
Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu: Hamas atrocities mirror ISISIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said atrocities committed by Hamas during its attack on Israel mirrored those carried out by the jihadist group Islamic State.
Read more »
Biden stresses civilian protection amid Gaza seige, condemns HamasIn Gaza, health officials said Israel's response had killed more than 2,200 people. As on the Israeli side, most of them were civilians.
Read more »
Biden stresses civilian protection amid Gaza seige, condemns HamasIn Gaza, health officials said Israel's response had killed more than 2,200 people. As on the Israeli side, most of them were civilians.
Read more »