President Marcos has called for the de-escalation and cessation of violence in the Israel-Hamas conflict, urging all parties to engage in dialogue and diplomacy.

“The Philippines is deeply concerned about the rising number of victims and the safety of all persons, as well as the dire humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Israel and in Gaza," Marcos said during his intervention in the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Gulf Cooperation Council (ASEAN-GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“We hope that all parties will exert their utmost efforts to de-escalate the situation, stop all violence, and engage in dialogue and diplomacy,” he further stated.

Marcos made the call after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that another female Filipino caregiver died in Israel most probably during the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas militants in southern Israel.

The victim, whose name was withheld, was the fourth Filipino casualty in the ongoing violence in the Middle Eastern country.

Being the major sea gates and vital corridors of the world’s commerce and communications, the President said the two regional groupings must “work together to promote peace, security, and stability in both our regions, the South China Sea, and the Arabian Sea.”

He, however stressed, that those initiatives must be grounded on the rules-based international order to ensure stability and prosperity of the countries involved and the rest of the world.

“Peace and stability are indispensable to ensuring continued prosperity in our respective regions and of the world,” he said.