The European Union (EU), on October 9, reversed a decision to “immediately” suspend aid payments to Palestinian territories, walking back a position articulated by one of its Commissioners, presumably after objections were raised by several EU countries, including Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Ireland.
Earlier on Monday, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi had announced an “immediate” suspension of aid to Palestinian territories and a review of all projects currently under way. A weekend attack by Hamas had killed over 700 people in Israel. Over 560 had been killed in retaliatory attacks in Gaza.
“The scale of terror and brutality against Israel and its people is a turning point,” Mr. Varhelyi wrote on X. “There can be no business as usual,” he said.
The EU is the largest donor of aid to the Palestinian territories. providing a total of €691 million. Monday’s contradictory positions from the EU reflect the immensely complex dynamics of the Israel-Palestine conflict and Europe’s own historical connection with the region.
“The suspension of the payments - punishing all the Palestinian people - would have damaged the EU interests in the region and would have only further emboldened terrorists,” the EUs top diplomat Josep Borrell wrote on X. Mr. Borrel and some European Foreign Ministers were in Muscat on Tuesday for a meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
There was opposition to cutting aid from Mr. Varhelyi’s own colleagues as well.
“While I most strongly condemn the terrorist attack by #Hamas, it is imperative to protect civilians and respect IHL [International Humanitarian Law],” European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said on X.
A statement from the EU, released later on Monday, said that “as there were no payments foreseen, there will be no suspension of payments”.
Also read: Israel-Palestine conflict LIVE updates on October 9, 2023
The EU had planned a total of €1.8 billion in funding for Palestinian territories (the West Bank and Gaza) between 2021 and 2024. Austria and Germany also announced, on Monday, the temporary suspension of bilateral aid to Palestinian territories.
The EU “in no way” funds Hamas activities, the bloc’s Chief spokesperson Eric Mamer said at a press briefing on Monday. The EU had already designated Hamas as a terror group.
“This cooperation must continue; we cannot confuse Hamas, which is in the list of EU’s terrorist groups, with the Palestinian population, or the Palestinian Authority or the United Nation’s organisations on the ground,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday, as per a report from Reuters.
EU Foreign Ministers are expected to meet informally on Tuesday to discuss the funding freeze.
