EU Commission: 68 million euros in support of Palestinian population. Von der Leyen, “innocent Palestinians should not have to pay the price for Hamas”

Today, the Commission has decided to allocate an additional 68 million euros to support the Palestinian population across the region to be implemented through international partners like the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. This comes in addition to the foreseen 82 million euros of aid to be implemented through UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refuges in the Near East) in 2024, bringing the total to 150 million euros. The EU Commission will proceed to paying 50 million euros of the UNRWA envelope next week. In addition, the EU Commission said it has allocated 125 million euros of humanitarian aid for Palestinians for 2024. The president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated: “We stand by the Palestinian people in Gaza and elsewhere in the region. Innocent Palestinians should not have to pay the price for the crimes of terrorist group Hamas. They face terrible conditions putting their lives at risk because of lack of access to sufficient food and other basic needs. That is why we are reinforcing our support to them this year by a further EUR 68 million”.
Latest news from the Gaza Strip seem to have accelerated the decisions of the EU Commission. Actually, as they explain from Brussels, “the Commission has assessed its funding decision for UNRWA in light of the very serious allegations made on 24 January that implicate several UNRWA staff in the heinous 7 October attacks. It took account of the action taken by the UN and the commitments the Commission required from UNRWA”.
Valentina Bombelli