Philippine Authorities Raid Chabad Center, Detain Several Israelis Over Visa Violations

On Saturday night, Philippine immigration authorities conducted a raid on the Chabad House on Siargao Island, detaining several Israelis for illegal stay in the country. The detainees are being temporarily held at a police station before transfer to a facility in the capital. An Israeli family traveling with children described the tense scene during the raid, which occurred as dozens of Israelis had gathered to welcome the Sabbath. According to the mother, heavily armed police and soldiers entered the premises, ordering everyone to remain still and silent while they searched for individuals overstaying their visas. She recounted the atmosphere as resembling a counterterrorism operation, with the area secured by machine guns and weapons. Immigration investigators later joined the operation and identified several people whose visas had expired or who were blacklisted, leading to their removal from the site. The Philippine immigration authority released photos of the detainees holding signs stating reasons for detention, including "undesirable alien," "overstay, blacklisted," and "expired work permit."