MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for a de-escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants, after the war that showed no signs of easing since it broke out in early October had already killed thousands of people.

Marcos made the statement on Friday, October 20, during his intervention at a closed-door meeting in the inaugural summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“The Philippines is deeply concerned about the rising number of victims and the safety of all persons, as well as the dire humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Israel and in Gaza,” President Marcos said, according to a press release published by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

“We hope that all parties will exert their utmost efforts to de-escalate the situation, stop all violence, and engage in dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.

The statement comes a week after he assured Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss that the “Philippines will always stand with Israel against the inhuman terrorist attacks by Hamas,” according to Malacañang.

He isn’t the only leader in the ASEAN-GCC Summit to sound the alarm over the outbreak of violence. The PCO said Southeast Asian and Gulf leaders also agreed to:

• condemn the attacks against civilians
• call for a lasting ceasefire
• urge parties to ensure the most effective and efficient access for humanitarian aid
• call on all parties to abide by international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Convention
• call for the immediate and unconditional release of civilian hostages
• urge parties involved to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict to realize the two-state solution

ASEAN foreign ministers also issued a separate statement decrying the acts of violence, and calling for an “immediate end of violence to avoid further human casualties.”

Crisis in Gaza

Marcos’ trip to the Middle East – his first since he rose to the presidency in June 2022 – could not have come at a more precarious time, against the backdrop of the worst fighting the region has seen in years.

The tensions flared up after Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on Israeli towns on October 7, leaving 1,400 people dead. Four of them were Filipinos.

Israel retaliated by spearheading its most intense bombardment of Gaza yet, killing over 3,500 people, many of them children.

Western leaders have backed Israel’s campaign against Hamas, but it has also exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinian civilians are without basic necessities like food, drinking water, and fuel.

Israel asserted it won’t allow aid to be delivered from its territory to Gaza until hundreds of hostages captured by Hamas militants are freed, but Palestinians said this is tantamount to a collective punishment of innocent civilians.

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Gaza residents lose entire families, fear more destruction

The only way for aid to be delivered directly from outside Israel is through the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday, October 18, that Washington would “provide $100 million in humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.”

He said Israel has committed to allow the entry of aid from Egypt, as long as it won’t reach Hamas fighters. – Rappler.com