Lawmakers decry 'genocide' in Gaza, call for ceasefire

Lawmakers called for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, saying that Israel's offensive against Hamas is already resulting in genocide of innocent civilians.

“Gaza, a place where the sky, the land, and the sea, all bear the heavy chains of an unrelenting blockade. That is life under siege, a life that is the reality of the citizens of Gaza for decades and which has become ever more grim since October 7th of this year. Hamas opened breaches into Israel's blockade leading to abductions of the persons therein. In retaliation, the Gaza strip has been bombarded and assaulted for more than a month and until today. The targeting of innocent civilians is terror, full stop,” Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong said.

Hamas launched a deadly attack against Israel on October 7 killing 1,400 and taking 240 Israeli hostages back to Gaza where the group is based. Israel retaliated and vowed to eliminate Hamas, pounding Gaza with air strikes and launching a ground offensive.

“It is imperative that we align ourselves with the prevailing sentiment of the international community and demand an immediate cessation of violence. Gaza is in dire need of essential humanitarian aid, and it is our moral duty to ensure its uninterrupted flow to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Adiong added.

Adiong also said that parents in Gaza have begun to write on the forearms of their children so that if a bomb or the resulting debris would mangle their bodies, they would still be identifiable.

“It is our shared humanity, which has helped us endure so much that is mangled alongside the bodies of children. Each new air strike is followed quickly with the refrain “there was a Hamas terrorist  there”. In bakeries and fishing boats; in hospitals and ambulances; in churches and mosques; in universities and schools. There seems to be a Hamas terrorist everywhere,” Adiong said.

“Combatants and innocent bystanders are bound together, seemingly awaiting their collective demise in an unfathomable form of punishment. Mr. Speaker, what is happening in Gaza has been dubbed a 'textbook case of genocide', and that is the expert opinion of Israeli scholar Raz Segal, associate professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Stockton University,” he added.

UN resolution

Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel, for his part, echoed Adiong’s call, saying that the Marcos administration’s decision not to vote yes on the United Nations Resolution calling for a ceasefire due to humanitarian crisis in Gaza is as good as turning a blind eye on genocide.

“We are one with calls to stop the Israeli government’s bombings on Gaza, and to stop all attacks on civilians. We support the opening of borders that will allow the swift and immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, so as to provide food, medicines and other essential supplies especially for the victims,” Manuel said.

While the youth did not get to experience the horrors of World War II and the Nazi regime of dictator Adolf Hitler that killed six million Jews, Manuel said that it is clear as day that what is happening in Gaza is the killing of unarmed and innocent civilians.

“In this light, I stand in this chamber, as representative of the youth in Philippine Congress, to express utmost condemnation of the ongoing genocide and war crimes by the Israeli government against the people of Palestine. We, the Filipino youth, believe that genocidal actions by the Israeli government do not represent the aspirations of Jewish communities,” Manuel said.

“We condemn the abstention of the Marcos Jr administration in the voting for the UN resolution regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and we appeal for solidarity with the Filipino youth, Palestinian youth and millions in the whole world who are calling for an end to the genocide, and for accountability over all  violations of international humanitarian law,” Manuel added.

The Philippine delegation on October 27 voted to abstain from the UN General Assembly's (UNGA) resolution on the “protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations” in the ongoing Gaza crisis.

The resolution called for an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas and demanded aid access to the besieged Gaza Strip and protection of civilians.

It was passed with 120 votes in favor, 14 no votes, and 45 abstentions.

"We welcome the opening of a humanitarian corridor with Egypt. It is important that the UN humanitarian system be supported and is enabled to respond to the scale of the needs of the affected populations in a predictable and sustainable manner," said Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations Antonio Lagdameo during the voting.

"However, as we would condemn all terrorist attacks, the resolution does not mention nor condemn the terrorist attack of 7 October by Hamas leading to the deaths of innocent civilians, including women and children, as well as Filipinos," he added.

"Therefore, despite commendable efforts of the co-sponsors to improve the original text, for these reasons, my delegation abstained on the resolution," explained Lagdameo.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said last month that the Philippines stands with Israel following the deadly attacks by Hamas.

Marcos gave the assurance as Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss met him at Malacañang Palace to discuss the latest situation in Israel. —KG, GMA Integrated News