MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assured the safety of Filipinos living near the West Bank, following escalating tensions sparked by Israel’s E1 settlement plan.
Speaking at the sidelines of the Korea-ASEAN Community of Policy Exchange (KACPE) on Friday, Undersecretary Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega of the DFA told The Manila Times that Philippine diplomatic posts in the Middle East were closely monitoring the situation and ensuring that timely advisories reach Filipinos in areas near the conflict.
“Our embassies in the region and our different posts in the region, along with the other national government agencies represented there, for example, like the Department of Migrant Workers and other attached agencies.
She said they would continue to work as a “one-country team” to safeguard Filipinos and provide them with necessary assistance.
On Thursday, the agency reaffirmed its support for Palestine’s right to self-determination, warning that Israel's E1 settlement plan and rising settler violence in the West Bank violate international law and undermine a future Palestinian state.
