Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
At a time when the United Nations issued a call for the need to ensure the arrival of relief materials to the Palestinians in Gaza following Israel’s announcement of imposing a siege on the Gaza Strip, the European Commission in Brussels, which is the executive body of the European Union, issued a statement saying that it had decided to conduct an urgent review of European aid to the Palestinians.
The Commission statement distributed in Brussels said, “The Commission unequivocally condemns the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel over the weekend. In the wake of these events, the Commission announces that it will launch an urgent review of European Union assistance 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 Commission will likewise review whether, in light of changing circumstances on the ground, there is a need to adjust its support programs for the Palestinian population and the Palestinian Authority.
The Commission will conduct this review as soon as possible and coordinate with Member States and partners any necessary follow-up actions.
In the meantime, since there were no payments expected, there will be no suspension of payments. The European statement concluded by saying: “This review does not relate to humanitarian assistance provided within the framework of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).