Israel-Hamas ceasefire sought
SENATOR Robin Ferdinand C. Padilla has filed a resolution calling for a sustained ceasefire in war between Israel and Hamas militants and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
A ceasefire would be the best measure to ensure civilians in Israel and Palestinian territories are protected, he said in Resolution 880, citing Amnesty International.
Israel launched a barrage of airstrikes in Gaza after Hamas militants backed by waves of rockets stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis.
It has deployed tens of thousands of its troops for a ground assault on the Palestinian enclave.
More than 15,000 people have died in the war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Last month, the Philippines joined 144 nations in favoring a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem and Syrian Golan. — John Victor D. Ordoñez