Palestine envoy urges PH to ask Israel to resolve Gaza crisis

GMA Network

5 days ago

Palestine's Ambassador to the Philippines Mounir Anastas on Tuesday urged the Philippines to convince Israel to resolve the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Gaza.
Speaking to GMA Integrated News' Pia Arcangel, Anastas said the Philippines should ''apply some pressure'' so that Israel ''respects the humanitarian question in Gaza especially, and in the West Bank as well.''
''In any case, we are really thankful for the President and the government, since they made several statements asking for a ceasefire and for humanitarian aid to arrive in Gaza. So, the Philippines is doing its best,'' he said in a report on ''24 Oras.''
At the 2nd ASEAN–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Malaysia on May 27, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed concern over Israel's military operations across the Gaza Strip, "which have resulted in the continued rise of the death of civilians, including women and children, and further exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation on the ground."
Marcos said the Philippines urged all parties to adhere to their obligations under international law, ''with particular emphasis on the protection of civilians, especially women and children, and the facilitation of humanitarian assistance to all those who are in need.''
''Everybody was asking Israel for the ceasefire first and to allow the humanitarian aid to arrive to the population while Israel was using food and water as weapon,'' Anastas said.
''It is not only against international humanitarian law but it is also completely immoral, it is inhuman, it is unacceptable.''
Anastas also commented on the fighting between Israel and Iran.
"There's the question, why now? Why [did] Israel attack Iran right now, knowing that [for] decades [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu was always saying Iran was too close to having or possessing nuclear weapons?'' he said.
''The attack came only two days before the meeting scheduled between the US and Iran for the [nuclear] negotiations.''
Iran has always said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of those killed or captured were civilians.
Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Earlier this month, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza and aid access.
The UN has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in a 1967 war with neighboring Arab states.
''Is it viable still? Yes, it is, even if it is weakened,'' Anastas said. ''There is a need to have a change within Israel with such a government. Of course, it wouldn't work since they declared very clearly they are opposed to such a solution.''
''Second thing, it's not only freezing the settlements, but also having the solution to take all settlers back to Israel,'' he said. — with Reuters/VBL, GMA Integrated News