European Union reverses announcement that it was suspending aid to Palestinians
- Earlier, EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi had said that all payments from the development programme for Palestinians would be ‘immediately suspended’
- No immediate explanation for the decision was given, but the reversal on a US$730 million programme capped an embarrassing day at the EU’s executive
The European Union late on Monday reversed an earlier announcement by an EU commissioner that the bloc was “immediately” suspending development aid for Palestinian authorities and instead said it would urgently review such help in the wake of the attacks on Israel by Hamas to make sure no money was misused.
“There will be no suspension of payments” at the moment, a terse European Commission statement said late on Monday, five hours after EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi had said that all payments from the development programme for Palestinians would be “immediately suspended. All projects put under review. All new budget proposals … postponed until further notice.”
No immediate explanation for the reversal was given. A full European Commission statement always trumps a statement from an EU commissioner, but the reversal on a €691 million (US$730 million) programme capped an embarrassing day at the EU’s executive at a time of extreme geopolitical sensitivities.
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Israel declares war after Hamas launches surprise attack, killing hundreds of people
Since Saturday, support of the 27-nation bloc for Israel had been steadfast, including that the country had now every right within international law to defend itself in the war with Hamas.
The surprise announcement by Varhelyi on development aid came just hours after EU officials stressed that no EU money whatsoever was going to Hamas in the first place and that contacts had been frozen for 16 years. The EU considers Hamas a terror group.
After hours of uncertainty over how deep the measures would reach and whether they would possibly also affect aid to those in immediate need, the European Commission said there was no suspension for now, but said it started “an urgent review of the EU’s assistance for Palestine.”
“The objective of this review is to ensure that no EU funding indirectly enables any terrorist organisation to carry out attacks against Israel,” the statement said. The EU says it already has rules in place to screen and vet beneficiaries and to make sure no such funds are made available to terrorists.