ANTIWAR PROTEST Various groups gather in front of Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto in Sampaloc to call for immediate ceasefire and an end to Israeli occupation of Gaza. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
The local Muslim group One Bangsamoro Movement (1Bangsa) on Monday made an appeal to Israel to free all Palestinian it holds as prisoners of war in Tel Aviv as it also calls for a total ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to stop the continuing increase of casualties.
“Free the hostages, whether Israeli or whatever their nationalities may be. That’s our call for Israel to release the [Palestinian] civilians whose majority are seniors, women and especially children that they imprisoned in this war,” 1Bangsa president Alan Balangi told the Inquirer on Monday.
The group has been a vocal supporter of the safety of Palestinian civilians in the Israel-Hamas war. One of which was the recent event organized by the Israel Embassy in Manila called “Through the Jeepneys: Bring Them Home” campaign at the parade grounds of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Dec. 22.
129 Israeli hostages
In the event led by Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss, around 15 jeepneys were covered by tarpaulins with the faces of the 129 Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza.
They are among those taken by the militants of the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas when they launched their sneak assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
“Our goal is to shed light on their plight, victims of Hamas, a terrorist organization that attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Hamas murdered, slaughtered, butchered innocent people, causing unimaginable suffering and loss to over 1,200 innocent lives, Israelis and foreigners alike,” Ambassador Fluss said during the campaign.
Four overseas Filipino workers in Israel were killed during the attack. They were identified as Loretta Villarin Allacre, Angelyn Aguirre, Paul Vincent Castelvi, and Grace Cabral Prodigo.
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