The European Union announced the freezing of financial aid to Palestine due to the aggression of the militant group Hamas against Israel. This was announced in a tweet by Oliver Vargelius, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy.
“The scale of terror and brutality against Israel and its people was a turning point. The European Commission, as the largest donor to the Palestinians, is launching a review of the entire €691 million development aid package. All disbursements are immediately suspended. All projects will be reviewed. All new budget proposals, including for 2023, are on hold until further notice”, he said.
Vargelius stressed the need to return to the basics of peace, tolerance and neighborliness. “The incitement of hatred, violence and glorification of terror has poisoned the minds of too many people. We need to act, and we need to act now”, he added.
Earlier, Austria and Germany said they would review financial aid to Palestine. The Austrian government will stop sending 19 million euros intended for the development of the Palestinian territories. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schellenberg said that the country will review all projects related to the Palestinian territories after consultations with the European Union and international partners.
German Economic Development Minister Svenja Schulze said the government had been careful to use the funds for peaceful purposes, but the latest attacks on Israel were a breaking point. “We have tried to make sure that our support for people in the Palestinian territories serves peace and not terrorists”, she said. Germany is “one of the largest donors”, funding desalination, food security and job creation projects. Berlin was prepared to give 125 million euros to Palestine in 2023 and 2024.
