Bangsamoro parliament calls for Gaza ceasefire

The Bangsamoro Parliament on Thursday called for a ceasefire in Gaza and described the situation there as a “disgrace” amid the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Bangsamoro Parliament Deputy Floor Leader Anna Tarhata Basman also urged the international community to be more active in pushing for a ceasefire and finding a lasting solution to the conflict.

“The longer this lasts, the farther we are to resolving the decades-long conflict in the Middle East. The longer this lasts, the more we show the weakness and frailty of our international institutions,” Basman said in a privilege speech.

“The longer this lasts, the more we scream to the world that Palestinian lives don’t matter,” she added.

Basman called out the Israeli government for allegedly bombing hospitals, safe zones, and passage routes.

She also criticized Israel for allegedly attacking civilians, journalists, and medical professionals, as well as its supposed refusal to provide access to food, water, electricity, and medical supplies.

On October 16, the Bangsamoro Parliament adopted a resolution "condemning" the "continuing acts of violence" by Israel against the Palestinians and by the Hamas group against the civilians of Israel.

The United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk on Thursday pointed out allegations of serious rights violations in the Israel-Hamas war that he said needed "full accountability."

Turk said "extremely serious allegations of multiple and profound breaches of international humanitarian law, whoever commits them, demand rigorous investigation and full accountability."

GMA News Online had sought comment from Israel's Embassy on the Bangsamoro Parliament's call for a ceasefire, but the embassy had yet to respond as of posting time.

In response to the protest near the Israel Embassy on October 31, Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said Israel had "the right to defend itself on a war imposed on us by Hamas on October 7."

"The right of Israel to defend itself and its citizens against acts of terror is unequivocal and non-negotiable. Every sovereign nation has the inherent duty to protect its citizens, and Israel is no exception," Fluss said in a statement.

"Any attempts to undermine this right are an affront to the principles of self-defense and national security," he added.

Israel has been bombing targets across the Gaza Strip since Hamas fighters carried out an unprecedented deadly attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7.

About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7 and 240 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Over 11,000, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza by Israeli air strikes, according to the Hamas health ministry in the territory, Agence France-Presse reported. — DVM, GMA Integrated News