By Roselle Ochobillo 

“We cannot condemn the genocide in Palestine without also condemning the imperialist United States.”

Filipino activists remembered the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood three years ago as the day Palestinians amplified their stand against imperialism. 

Led by the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) Philippines, Philippines-Palestine Friendship Association (PPFA), and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), activists marched on October 7 to the US Embassy to remember the historic operation against Israeli occupation after decades of Palestinian oppression. 

Carrying the Palestinian flag and placards with images of slain journalists in Gaza, they marched along Kalaw Avenue in Ermita, Manila to condemn the Israeli attacks despite the ceasefire that supposedly took effect on October 10, 2025. 

During the program, Amirah Lidasan, secretary-general of Moro Christian People’s Alliance and  co-chairperson of Sandugo Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self-Determination, said, “Gaza is not the land of another people. Gaza belongs to the Palestinians who are struggling.” 

In 2025, US President Donald Trump introduced the Gaza peace plan, also known as the “Board of Peace,” which saw thousands of Palestinians held by Israel released in return for all of the 48 remaining hostages held in Gaza. It also includes an agreement to end the war. 

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israeli attacks since the October 7, 2023 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood have killed at least 74,000 Palestinians, including at least 21,000 children. The actual death toll may be higher, as official records rely on documented deaths and do not account for those still missing or buried under the rubble. 

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Chairperson and former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño highlighted the US role in Israel’s attacks on Palestine by continuing to provide unconditional financial and military support 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) rely heavily on imported arms from the US which accounts for 69 percent of Israel’s weapon imports from 2019-2023.   

“We cannot condemn the genocide in Palestine without also condemning the imperialist United States. Not only has Israel committed genocide in Palestine, but the United States has also attached Venezuela, Iran and Yemen, and is now there is possibility to attack Cuba,” Casiño said. 

On January 3, the United States abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, following months of US strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific that reportedly killed more than 100 people. 

The Trump administration’s actions, which critics have condemned as violations of international law and Venezuela’s national sovereignty, reflect what the progressive groups describe as a longstanding pattern of US imperialism.  

Despite the controversy surrounding the operation, the Trump administration insisted on its intention to “run the country,” further raising concerns over Venezuela’s sovereignty and the Venezuelan people’s  right to self-determination. 

Rev. Alan Sarte, secretary-general of the Philippines-Palestine Friendship Association stressed the determination of Palestinians to continue fighting for their freedom, calling on people around the world to oppose imperialism and defend national sovereignty. 

Read: Groups insist Balikatan exercises harmful to Filipinos, environment

“We will ensure that on the day of Donald Trump’s arrival, he is met by a massive protest from the Filipino people,” said Kilusang Mayo Uno Secretary-General Jerome Adonis. (AMU, DAA)