Manila: The Philippines has announced that it will not pursue new military acquisitions from Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro informed lawmakers that while no new contracts have been signed with Israeli arms manufacturers, the Philippine Army maintains its procurement of munitions from an Israel-based weapons dealer as part of previous agreements.
According to Anadolu Agency, Teodoro addressed the House Committee on Appropriations during a budget hearing, stating, "Right now, it's just the continuing of past contracts. We have no new contracts with any Israel-based companies. Our issue is to secure our supply chains with them. Right now that they are involved in a conflict, I myself won't be comfortable that they will put a contract on par with their own needs."
The Gaza conflict has resulted in over 65,000 Palestinian deaths, primarily women and children, since October 2023. The sustained bombardment has devastated the region, leading to dire humanitarian conditions and widespread disease.
In a recent escalation, Israel targeted the Qatari capital, Doha, resulting in the deaths of five Hamas members and a Qatari officer. This action is part of a broader campaign that includes attacks on Iran, Lebanon, and Syria, alongside a protracted conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.
During the hearing, lawmaker Renee Louise Co highlighted a notice of award to Elbit Systems dated August 11, 2025, amounting to P248 million ($15,057) for precision-guided projectiles. Co criticized the association with Elbit Systems, linking it to the ongoing violence in Gaza.
Teodoro clarified that the transaction was aimed at sustaining existing military platforms rather than acquiring new ones, acknowledging the Philippines Army's limited options due to previous agreements made in 2022. He emphasized that continuing with the current systems was deemed more viable than initiating new acquisitions.
Teodoro remarked, "It was a lesson learned for us also in who we contract with, how we contract with, and what we write down on a contract. So, right now, we're in no position to decommission the capabilities, and because of the arrangement that was made before, which was probably good at the time, we're now stuck with it."
Despite this, lawmaker Co urged Teodoro to reconsider and potentially terminate the ongoing contract, citing concerns discussed in the parliamentary session.