MANILA – The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), on Wednesday renewed its call on all parties in the Israel-Hamas conflict to ensure that civilians are protected after an airstrike hit a Gaza hospital killing hundreds.
“The Philippines is profoundly saddened over the recent bombing of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza,” DFA Spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said in a statement.
“We grieve for the hundreds of innocent lives lost in this tragic incident, non-combatants which include medical practitioners, children, the wounded, and displaced individuals who only sought shelter at the facility,” she added.
She said all parties “should do their utmost to protect civilians in times of war and armed conflict”.
It then expressed its support to United Nations efforts to provide humanitarian relief in the conflict areas.
The Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip blamed the Israeli side while the Israel Defense Forces said a rocket fired by the Islamic Jihad militants toward Israel “misfired and hit the hospital”.
The strike, which further escalates the Israeli-Hamas conflict, prompted on Wednesday international condemnations, including from the US and the United Nations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underscored that hospitals and medical personnel are protected under the international humanitarian law. (PNA)
