Philippines Expresses Concern Over Israeli Settlement Plan, Cites Impact on Palestinian Statehood

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Israel’s advancement of its E1 settlement plan and rising settler violence in the West Bank threaten prospects for a Palestinian state and a broader Middle East peace settlement. The DFA called on all parties to refrain from actions that could undermine the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state. “The Philippines remains resolute in upholding the fundamental and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, in particular the right to self-determination,” the agency said in a statement. It said the Philippines remains concerned about developments in the West Bank, particularly the advancement of the E1 settlement plan and settler violence. The E1 project covers an area of the occupied West Bank near Jerusalem that Palestinians seek as part of a future independent state. Critics of the project say development in the area would further divide Palestinian territory and threaten the viability of a two-state solution. The United Nations, Palestinians and most countries consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law, a position disputed by Israel. “The Philippines views these actions, which may contravene international law, as detrimental to finding a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the Middle East conflict,” the DFA said. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics estimated the West Bank’s Palestinian population at about 3.43 million at the end of 2025. It also reported that Israeli military operations and settler violence in the West Bank had killed 1,102 Palestinians and injured 9,034 as of the end of 2025. The DFA reaffirmed the Philippines’ support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and called for actions that preserve prospects for peace.