European Union suspends payments to Palestinian Authority over attacks in Israel

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi announced Monday that the bloc would suspend funding to the Palestinian Authority following the Hamas attacks against Israel. File Photo by Julien Warnand /EPA-EFE

Oct. 9 (UPI) — The European Union announced on Monday it was suspending millions in aid to the Palestinian Authority following attack by Hamas against Israel.

The bloc’s Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, of Hungary, said on social media it would suspend the payments immediately, putting $728.5 million in a development portfolio under review.

Additionally, budget proposals, including for the remainder of 2023 would be placed on hold “until further notice.”

“The foundations for peace, tolerance and co-existence must now be addressed,” Várhelyi said. “Incitement to hatred, violence and glorification of terror have poisoned the minds of too many. We need action and we need it now.”

Last year, the EU provided about $316 million in 2022 and promised $1.9 billion overall from 2021-2024 including funding to pay civil servants, complete projects and aid refugees.

Ana Pisonero, the EU Commission spokesperson for enlargement and neighborhood policy said Monday the budget did not include “direct or indirect” funding for Hamas.

“All recipients of EU funding are required to ensure that these funds are not made available, either directly or indirectly to entities, individuals or groups which have been designed under EU restrictive measures or to their representatives,” said Pisonero.

The announcement comes on the heels of Germany and Austria announcing the suspension of aid to the Palestinians.

The EU’s foreign policy head Josep Borrell condemned the attack in a statement on Sunday.

“The EU calls for an immediate cessation of these senseless attacks and violence, which will only further increase tensions on the ground and seriously undermine Palestinian people’s aspirations for peace,” the statement said.

“The EU stands in solidarity with Israel, which has the right to defend itself in line with international law, in the face of such violent and indiscriminate attacks.”

Nine U.S. citizens have been counted among those killed in the conflict as Ron Dermer, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, said more than 800 people were killed in the Hamas rocket attacks and Israeli officials said more than 100 people have been taken captive by Hamas.

Palestine’s Health Ministry said Monday that 560 Palestinians have been killed and another 2,900 have been injured.

Smoke rises above buildings in the southern Gaza Strip, following an Israeli strike on October 9. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo