The European Union (EU) has suspended development aid payments to the Palestinians and is placing 691 million euros ($728 million) of assistance “under review” in response to the Hamas attack on Israel, announced Brussels on Monday.
“The scale of terror and brutality against Israel and its people is a turning point. There can be no business as usual,” European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi posted on social media.
“As the biggest donor of the Palestinians, the European Commission is putting its full development portfolio under review, worth a total of EUR 691m,” he added, in a message confirmed as accurate by a commission spokesman.
Varhelyi said the move meant “all payments immediately suspended. All projects put under review. All new budget proposals, including for 2023 postponed until further notice. Comprehensive assessment of the whole portfolio.”
European Union (EU) foreign ministers are scheduled to convene for urgent discussions on Tuesday regarding the situation in Israel and Gaza following the unprecedented assault by Hamas fighters.
“Incitement to hatred, violence and glorification of terror have poisoned the minds of too many,” Varhelyi said. “We need action and we need it now.”
In February, the European Union (EU) revealed its commitment to provide 296 million euros for the 2022 budget year to support the Palestinian Authority in covering civil servant salaries, pensions, medical services, and financing infrastructure projects.
The bloc says it would provide “up to 1.177 billion euros in financial support from 2021 to 2024”.
