Philippines, Manila: Filipinos in Lebanon are being advised to leave the country as soon as possible due to escalating tensions between the Iran-backed group Hezbollah and Israel, which threaten to lead to full-scale conflict.

On Friday night, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon issued a social media advisory urging Filipinos to depart while the airport is still operational. The advisory emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety and leaving the country as soon as possible, according to Xinhua.

For those who are unable to leave, the Embassy strongly recommended relocating to safer areas outside the capital, Beirut, as well as southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

Approximately 17,500 Filipinos are currently residing in Lebanon, with about 3,000 in southern Lebanon.

Last October, tensions surged along the Lebanon-Israel border following a Hamas attack on Israel from Gaza and Israel's subsequent military response. This situation prompted the Philippines to raise the alert level to 3, indicating a recommendation for its citizens to evacuate.

In July, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reiterated its call for Filipinos to take advantage of the government's voluntary repatriation program due to the continuing escalation of tensions. Despite this, only about 300 Filipinos have been repatriated since the alert level was raised to 3.

Alert level 3 is issued when there are violent disturbances or external threats occurring in a specific area.