The European Commission announced this Monday that it has “suspended all payments” regarding development aid to Palestine. Within the framework of the evaluation of the assistance provided by the European Union to the Palestinian authorities, following the attack launched this Saturday by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Neighborhood Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi confirmed in a message on social networks that the bloc “immediately freezes all planned payments” and said: Reviews all ongoing projects. Thus, it is following in Austria’s footsteps, while Germany has stated that it is reviewing its cooperation commitments.
“All new budget proposals, including the 2023 budget proposal, postponed until further notice Regarding the aid amounting to almost 700 million euros, we will carry out a comprehensive assessment of the entire portfolio,” the Hungarian commissioner said.
The neighborhood headman insisted “The magnitude of terror and brutality” There was an attack on Israel represents a “turning point” Therefore, Brussels “cannot continue with things as they are.”
The Commissioner regretted that “incitement to hatred, violence and glorification of terrorism has poisoned the minds of many people” and advocated addressing “the foundations of peace, tolerance and coexistence” in the Middle East. “We need to act, and we need it now,” he reiterated following the Islamist group’s attack that killed more than 700 Israelis, most of them civilians.
Varhelyi took part in a controversy last year by conditioning more than 200 million aid funds provided to the Palestinian Authority, corresponding to 2021, to officials engaged in education reform, following the debate on whether textbooks in schools promote hatred and violence against Israel. .
A few hours ago, Vecindad spokeswoman Ana Pisonero said Brussels was “considering how tragic events may affect current and future development assistance.”
European Executive Provides budgetary support to the Palestinian AuthorityAmong other things, public spending and guaranteeing access to healthcare and water. In any case, Pisonero defended the controls in place to ensure the proper functioning of cooperation aid, insisting that the EU does not “directly or indirectly” finance Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
Multi-annual financial allocation to Palestine until 2024 within the scope of the EU cooperation budget amounting to 1.177 million eurosIn four years, more than 25 million humanitarian aid and support for 80 million Palestinian refugees are added to this figure in 2022 alone. In total, all European allocations in terms of cooperation and humanitarian aid exceed 300 million annually.