Women's Party-list Condemns US-Israel War of Aggression in Gaza, Files Resolution Calling for its Immediate End

Gabriela Women’s Party on Thursday joined the voices condemning themassacre of women and children in Gaza and called for an immediate endto the US-backed Israeli war of aggression in the 360-square-kilometerstrip. 
In a resolution filed in the House of Representatives, Rep. Luz Ilagansaid that Israel, by continuing its indiscriminate and excessiveattacks on Gaza’s civilian areas, violate the internationalhumanitarian law and human rights standards.

The basic rule of the international humanitarian law is to respect andprotect civilian population and objects against dangers arising frommilitary operations. They should not be the object of attack.

The resolution also cited the Protocol Additional to the 1949 GenevaConventions relating to the Protection of Victims of InternationalArmed Conflicts, which states that “acts or threats of violence theprimary purpose of which is to spread terror among the civilianpopulation are prohibited.”

The invasion of Gaza by Israel which started on December 27, 2008already claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Palestinian civilians,more than half of which were children, women and elderly. It also leftaround 4,000 people wounded.

Thousands of families have also been displaced with no safe place tostay in, as Israeli troops indiscriminately attack civilian houses,refugee camps, hospitals, mosques and school buildings.

Ilagan said that this is the result of Israel’s disregard of the UnitedNations’ Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children inEmergency and Armed Conflict.

Another violation of the international humanitarian law, according toIlagan, is the failure to facilitate the evacuation of civilians,including Filipinos, and by maintaining a blockage which trapscivilians in the fighting with no food or other basic necessities andprevents humanitarian missions from providing assistance to thevictims.

Ilagan also filed two other resolutions, one urging the Philippinegovernment to call for the cancellation of the 18-month-old inhumaneblockage imposed by Israel in Gaza, and another urging the Departmentsof Foreign Affairs, of Labor and Employment and of Social Welfare andDevelopment, to provide assistance to the Filipino victims of theUS-backed Israeli war of aggression.

Ilagan hit the United States for supporting the war of aggressionagainst the Palestinian people and providing financial aid to Israel’smilitary troops. She further condemned the US for acting as a barrierto the achievement of peace in Gaza by refusing to recognize the UnitedNations Security Council’s Resolution 1860 calling for an immediateceasefire.

According to the Mindanaoan solon, the US uses the centuries-longconflict between the Israeli and the Palestinians to save itself fromthe financial crisis and to protect its economic interests in theMiddle East, particularly to secure its hold on the world’s biggest oilreserves.