Marcos calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on  Oct. 11, 2023. As Israeli warplanes pummel Gaza to avenge the Hamas attack, Palestinians say the military has largely unleashed its fury on civilians. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair, File) 

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R.Marcos Jr. reiterated the Philippines’ call for a ceasefire in Gaza amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis. 

In December 2023, the Philippines supported the  United Nations (UN) resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. 

“The Philippines supports the efforts of the United Nations to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance and essential supplies to Palestinian civilians caught in the midst of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. We also continue to support the UN peacekeeping missions in the region,” Marcos said in a meeting with Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng. 

“We urge all parties to exert restraint to prevent the escalation of the conflict and that the Philippines supports the immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” said Marcos. 

The President also said that the Philippines supports a two-state solution, as both Israelis and Palestinians deserve security. 

Israeli forces have been bombing Gaza since October 2023, but the antagonism between Israel and Palestine has been ongoing for decades since the former occupied Palestinian land. 

The Palestinian side has borne the majority of the violence, with the Gaza siege resulting in the death of at least 20,000 locals.