Stop the killing of children, women, civilians in Gaza

PARTIDO LAKAS ng Masa (PLM) condemns Israel’s air strikes on Gaza, which resulted in the death of more than 70 civilians, including children. The Israeli government is an occupation force in Palestinian land, and the Palestinian resistance movement is a legitimate struggle for self-determination against the Israeli occupation. We also condemn the political assassination by the Israeli occupation forces of a leader of the Palestinian liberation struggle, Ahmed al-Jabari, a commander of Hamas, which that represents the legitimately elected government in Gaza.

The argument that Israel only retaliated to the attacks launched by Hamas is false and misleading. Israel has one of the best armed and sophisticated military machines in the world, and its military might is no match to the Palestinians’: it’s a David and Goliath situation, except that the surge of Israeli air strikes has led to mass murder of civilians.

Israel’s air strikes pushed the region closer to a major regional war with serious international ramifications. We know that Israel has been campaigning for—and pressuring its allies, especially the United States, to start—a war with Iran. It’s also no coincidence that the air strikes on Gaza were launched by the Israeli government just weeks before Israel’s national elections in January. The Israeli army is reportedly now poised to invade and reoccupy Gaza. These events, among others, demonstrate that it is in the interest of the Israeli regime to be on a permanent war footing.

Our own overseas Filipino workers are not safe in Israel or in the blockaded territory of Palestine. The Philippines has recognized the state of Palestine and has an official diplomatic office for the Palestinian state here. It is only proper for President Aquino and his government to be consistent with this position of recognizing Palestinian statehood and to call on Israel to end and refrain from its murderous air strikes on the Palestinian people in Gaza strip.