BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) has announced its commitment to maintaining financial assistance to Palestinians in Gaza after a meticulous audit determined that funds were not being diverted to support attacks by Hamas against Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the results of the review on Tuesday, underscoring the complexities of the conflict and the necessity for a “careful review of our financial assistance.” She affirmed, “This review has confirmed that the safeguards in place are effective,” and added that ongoing efforts are focused on shaping future support considering the evolving situation.
The European Union has committed to providing $1.4 billion in support as part of the European Joint Strategy through 2024. Of this, $800 million has already been approved to aid civic organizations, support public projects in Gaza, and contribute to UN relief efforts.
The funds review scrutinized existing safeguards that had proven effective in protecting international aid in previous years. The audit concluded that, thus far, no funds had been misappropriated in Gaza during the ongoing conflict, which has persisted for over six weeks. A new ceasefire agreement could potentially free hundreds of Israeli hostages in the coming days.
EU Review of Funds for Palestinians
As part of the review, the EU conducted parallel assessments of ground operations in the region and highlighted upcoming infrastructure projects in Gaza valued at over $75 million for the benefit of the Palestinian people.
The European Commission has pledged to implement additional measures, including screening all new work contracts and conducting routine risk assessments, to ensure the proper distribution of funds. The urgency of the review arose in the wake of the conflict that began on October 7, with the EU taking swift action to prevent any potential diversion of funds to groups promoting violence in the region.
During this period, there was a dispute among EU nations regarding the suspension of $728 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority for new developments in Gaza following the attack on Israel by Hamas. The Commission intervened with an urgent review, emphasizing that the suspension of payments would have adversely affected EU interests in the region and potentially emboldened terrorist elements.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell clarified that the bloc would not suspend due payments to avoid damaging the interests of the Palestinian people.
