Marcos slams Gaza violence, says Israel alone can stop it
BENGALURU, India — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has decried the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza but maintained that only Israel could stop them.
The Philippines voted for a ceasefire in Gaza at the United Nations General Assembly despite having defense ties with Israel.
Speaking to local Indian media during his state visit, Marcos described the starvation in Gaza as deplorable.
“I don't know what they say in Israel, but everywhere else I think it is unanimous that the humanitarian cost of the continued attacks on Gaza is unacceptable. The death, the destruction, and now the starvation that is occurring there is…should not be happening in this day and age. We should not allow this,” Marcos told Firstpost.
However, Marcos agreed with US President Donald Trump’s position that only Israel could decide to occupy Gaza.
He said the world is already doing as much as it can to pressure Israel to cease its attacks.
However, the Indian interviewer corrected Marcos, saying that Israel does not have the sole power to decide whether it has the right to occupy Palestine.
“Well, if the United States stops sending weapons, then perhaps that would be a big diminution in terms of attacks. But short of that, I can see the frustration of the European countries. That's why they're starting to talk about recognizing a Palestinian state,” Marcos replied.
Marcos said that while the Philippines is an ally of Israel, it still stands for peace.
Israel has laid siege to Gaza for the past two years, killing thousands of Palestinians indiscriminately.
It is currently blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, pushing the civilian population toward widespread starvation.
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