MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has flagged Israel's plan to seize full control over Gaza, saying the move, along with aid restrictions and continuing attacks on civilians, has deepened an "already dire humanitarian situation."
In a statement on Monday, August 25, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the government was “deeply concerned" by recent developments, including the Israeli government’s recent approval of a plan to capture all of Gaza City, which could lead to the forced displacement of thousands of residents already experiencing famine.
The Philippines also expressed concern over the "continuing restrictions on access to life-saving humanitarian aid such as food and water, large-scale displacement, attacks affecting civilians, and reports of settlement expansion in the West Bank."
"These developments aggravate an already dire humanitarian situation and further diminish prospects for a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East," the DFA said.
The department added: “The Philippines, therefore, strongly calls on Israel to heed the ceasefire proposal as a crucial step to protect civilians and revive the path to peace.”
Gaza part of Palestine
The Gaza Strip is a coastal enclave in Palestine, bordering Israel and Egypt. It is part of the broader territory of the Palestinian people.
The current Israeli operation targets Gaza City, the largest population center within the Strip, and represents a turn toward direct military administration of an area that has already seen nearly two years of widespread destruction.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification formally declared widespread famine in Gaza City on August 22, with half a million people affected and numbers likely to rise by September.
According to Palestine's health ministry, at least 2,095 Palestinians seeking aid have been killed and around 15,430 wounded at militarized "aid" centers since May, and 300 — including 117 children — have been starved to death.
What came before. On August 8, Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to expand military control in Gaza, including taking over Gaza City and setting up a civil administration excluding both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
By August 20, Israel launched a formal offensive aimed at seizing Gaza City and has escalated its bombardment of the area since.
As part of its planned offensive to take over Gaza, Israel has also warned medical workers and international humanitarian organizations to prepare for evacuation.
Undermining the two-state solution. The Philippine government supports a two-state solution to the conflict, which envisions an independent Israel and an independent Palestine coexisting side by side with recognized borders.
But Israel's plan to put Gaza under its control would effectively remove Palestinian institutions from governing Gaza and undercut the basis of a two-state solution, which requires Palestinians to exercise authority over their own territory.
Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have died since Hamas militants launched a surprise attack from Gaza into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, prompting Israel to declare war on Hamas the following day.