EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO REVIEW AID TO PALESTINE TO FIND OUT IF MONEY IS LEAKING TO HAMAS

It was first announced by the Neighborhood, Oliver Varhelyi, who announced the immediate suspension of aid; he was later contradicted by the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, and by Josep Borrell, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Opposition also came from countries such as Spain and Ireland.

In its communiqué, the European Commission assures that it “unequivocally condemns the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel over the weekend” and has therefore announced “the launching of an urgent review of EU aid to Palestine”.

“In addition to existing safeguards, the aim of this review is to ensure that any EU funding does not indirectly enable any terrorist organization to carry out attacks against Israel,” the text reads. “The Commission will also review whether, in light of changing circumstances on the ground, there is a need to adjust its programs of support to the Palestinian population and the Palestinian Authority.”

Finally, he assures that he “will carry out this review as soon as possible and will coordinate with the Member States and partners any necessary follow-up action. In the meantime, as no payments were foreseen, there will be no suspension of payments”.

Despite contradictory information that emerged immediately after the announcement, “this review does not affect humanitarian aid provided in the framework of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

Borrell tried to bring Israel and Palestine together

Borrell had called an emergency meeting of foreign ministers in Oman, where the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and several European ministers are meeting with Gulf ministers. Those who were unable to attend in person participated by video call.

Borrell had invited the foreign ministers of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but neither has accepted the invitation.

The High Representative was clear in his speech after the meeting and defended that the EU should continue to give money to Palestine. “Funding must continue and payments must not be interrupted. This review must not be an excuse to delay the implementation of our cooperation,” he has defended.

His statements refer to what was mentioned last Monday by Commissioner Varhelyi, who assured that the European Union would immediately cut off all aid to Palestine in retaliation for the Hamas attack on Israel last Saturday. The European Union considers Hamas to be a terrorist organization.

Josep Borrell also pointed out that some of Israel’s actions were contrary to international law, such as “cutting off the water supply, cutting off electricity, cutting off food to a large part of the population”. Israel on Monday announced a total siege of the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated territories in the world, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007. Two million people live in the Strip, almost half of them children under the age of 15.

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