Philippines' DFA: Israeli E1 Settlement Plan, Settler Violence Threaten Peace Prospects
Key Takeaways
- •The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs warned that Israel's E1 settlement plan and increased settler violence in the West Bank threaten prospects for a Palestinian state and a broader Middle East peace settlement.
- •Manila urged all parties to refrain from actions that could undermine Palestinian statehood and reaffirmed support for the Palestinian right to self-determination, a stance consistent with its formal recognition of the State of Palestine in 1989.
- •Critics say the E1 project, covering land near Jerusalem that Palestinians seek for a future state, would further divide Palestinian territory and jeopardize the two-state solution framework that has anchored international peace efforts since the 1993 Oslo Accords.
- •The United Nations and most countries regard Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal under international law, and the International Court of Justice found in a 2024 advisory opinion that Israel's continued presence in the territory is unlawful.
- •The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that Israeli military operations and settler violence had killed 1,102 Palestinians and injured 9,034 in the West Bank as of the end of 2025, when the territory's Palestinian population was estimated at about 3.43 million.
Israel's advancement of the E1 settlement plan and a rise in settler violence in the West Bank threaten prospects for a Palestinian state and a broader Middle East peace settlement, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.
The DFA urged 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. The Philippines formally recognized the State of Palestine in 1989.
Manila remains concerned about developments in the West Bank, particularly the advancement of the E1 settlement plan and settler violence, it added.
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 framework that has anchored international peace efforts since the 1993 Oslo Accords. Plans for construction in E1 have been on Israel's planning agenda since the 1990s and have been shelved several times under international pressure.
The United Nations, Palestinians and most countries regard Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal under international law, a position disputed by Israel. The International Court of Justice, the United Nations' principal judicial organ, found in a 2024 advisory opinion that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful.
“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 territory 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 steps that preserve prospects for peace. The statement did not outline specific diplomatic measures.
Reporting by Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel; originally published by BusinessWorld on September 17, 2026.
