PH welcomes Israel-Iran ceasefire deal; urges continued negotiations

The Philippines welcomed the announcement of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran after both Middle East nations engaged in an air war for nearly two weeks.Metro Manila, Philippines - The Philippines welcomed the announcement of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran after both Middle East nations engaged in an air war for nearly two weeks.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday, June 25, that the government is “hopeful that it will be a crucial step towards achieving lasting peace in the region.”

“We urge all parties concerned to continue engaging in dialogue and negotiations toward a permanent solution to this issue,” the foreign ministry said.

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement was brokered shortly after Iran attacked a US military base in Qatar. But hours later, Trump said the two Middle East nations violated the agreement.

For now, Iran and Israel signaled that the air war had ended after 12 days of trading missile strikes.

READ: US strikes failed to destroy Iran's nuclear sites, intelligence report says

The DFA raised the alert status to Alert Level 3 over Israel and Iran, calling for Filipinos there to avail of the voluntary repatriation which the government will shoulder.

Eight Filipinos in Israel have been injured, with one still in critical condition.

Over 300 overseas FIlipino workers in Israel have requested repatriation, with the first batch of 26 already arrived in the country on Tuesday.