THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has raised Alert Level 3 in Lebanon as it urges Filipinos to leave the country amid clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega announced the development on Saturday.

There are 17,500 Filipinos living in Lebanon, based on DFA data.

Casualties were reported along the Israel-Lebanon border Saturday as the army traded fire with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah amid fears of a new front opening as Israel battles Hamas.

Israel already ordered the evacuation of Kiryat Shmona, a border town that is home to some 25,000 people, as the border area has come under fire from Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah said one of its fighters had been killed, while in Israel, two Thai farm workers were wounded, emergency services said.

A senior Hezbollah official warned that the movement stood ready to step up its involvement as Israel masses troops on the Gaza border, vowing to destroy Palestinian militant group Hamas in response to its shock cross-border attacks on October 7.

“Let’s be clear: as events unfold, if something comes up that calls for greater intervention by us, we will do so,” said Hezbollah number two Naim Qassem.

with a report from Agence France Presse