MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expressed concern over Israel’s settlement plans in the West Bank, saying it is a violation of international law.
In a statement released Thursday, the DFA said that it is alarmed after the Israel government is pushing for the E1 or short for East 1 settlement plan, amidst continued violence against settlers.
“We express our deep concern over recent developments in the West Bank. We note with alarm the efforts of the Israel government to advance the E1 settlement plan as well as the continued rise of settler violence in the West Bank,” the DFA said.
“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 added.
Courtesy of Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
The E1 settlement, located between East Jerusalem and the large Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, is a 12-square-kilometer land corridor in the occupied West Bank that Israel is using for a controversial settlement expansion.
The settlement was first planned in the 1990s but faced years of delays due to global pressure.
According to reports, Israel has recently opened bidding for the construction of the more than 1,000 Israeli homes in the occupied West Bank. The move would isolate Jerusalem by blocking Palestinian access to East Jerusalem, the proposed capital of a future state.
The settlement plan will cut the West Bank into northern and southern halves, removing the land continuity needed for a viable two-state solution, reports stated.
The DFA urged all parties concerned to desist from unilateral actions that erode the conditions for peace and undermine the viability of a future 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 DFA stated.
