PH lauds United Nations Gaza ceasefire call

The Philippines on Tuesday lauded the United Nations Security Council for adopting a resolution that calls for an immediate ceasefire in war-torn Gaza, saying it was “long overdue” and must be implemented “immediately.”

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines supports the resolution, which also calls for the release of hostages and aid provisions.

“I welcome the Security Council’s decisive adoption of a resolution for immediate ceasefire, unconditional release of all hostages, and unhampered humanitarian assistance in Gaza,” Manalo posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

“This is long overdue and must be implemented by all parties immediately,” the DFA chief added.

On Monday, the Security Council adopted the resolution with one abstention from the United States, while the remaining 14 members voted in favor.

This is the first time the US did not veto the resolution, as its policy in the Israel-Hamas war begins to shift with the escalating death toll in Gaza now reported at 32,000 of mainly women and children.

Reports also said some two million people have been displaced because of the ongoing violence and Israel’s bombardment.

“The humanitarian crisis demands swift (and) unified action from the int(ernationa)l community,” Manalo said on X.

“The prompt implementation of the measures contained in the resolution will urgently relieve the suffering of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, and bring forth prospects for lasting peace,” he added.

The current war broke out after Hamas attacked Israeli communities last October 7, killing about 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and took 253 into Gaza as hostages.

Of those taken, 130 remain unaccounted for after a series of releases, rescues, and the recovery of bodies.

Israel reacted angrily to the first UN Security Council vote to demand an “immediate ceasefire” in the Gaza war, after its closest ally the United States abstained, while fighting raged in the Palestinian territory.

After the vote, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres led calls for the resolution to be implemented.

“Failure would be unforgivable,” he wrote on social media platform X.

Immediately after the resolution passed, Israel cancelled the visit of a delegation to Washington, which the United States had requested to discuss concerns over a mooted Israeli invasion of Rafah, in crowded southern Gaza.

Israel said the United States abstention “hurts” both its war effort and attempts to release hostages.

It was “a clear retreat from the consistent position of the US,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

While diplomatic attention turned to New York, fighting continued across the Gaza Strip, with Israeli forces battling Hamas militants around at least two major hospitals.

Foreign military aircraft again dropped aid into northern Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is particularly acute and civilians are fleeing south.

“It is a famine,” said Mohamad al-Sabaawi who, like others, rushed to the seashore hoping for something that had floated down. He walked away with a small yellow can of fish.

Washington insisted that its Security Council abstention, which followed numerous vetoes, did not mark a shift in policy, although it has taken an increasingly tougher line with Israel in recent weeks.

The abstention meant that the resolution went through with all the other 14 Security Council members voting yes.

It demands an “immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan, leading to a “lasting” truce.

The resolution, which drew applause in the usually staid Council, also demands that Hamas and other militants free hostages they seized, though it does not directly link a release to the ceasefire.

Hamas welcomed the Security Council resolution and reaffirmed its readiness to negotiate the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, also welcomed the vote.

A top PA official, Hussein al-Sheikh, called “for a permanent cessation to this criminal war and Israel’s immediate withdrawal from the Gaza Strip”.

Member states are obliged to comply with resolutions passed by the Security Council.

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said its implementation was “vital for the protection of all civilians”, while Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman Sufyan Qudah said “Israel must abide by this decision”. With AFP

Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline PH welcomes UN Security Council resolution on Gaza ceasefire

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