The European Union (E.U.) announced that it is tripling aid to the Gaza Strip.
The E.U. previously decided it would suspend financial support to the area following Hamas’ attacks on Israel.
At the time, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, tweeted, “As the biggest donor of the Palestinians, the European Commission is putting its full development portfolio under review, worth a total of EUR 691m.”
Following a call with the Secretary General of the UN António Guterres, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said, “The Commission will immediately increase the current humanitarian aid envelope foreseen for Gaza by 50 million euros. This will bring the total to over 75 million euros.”
“We will continue our close cooperation with the UN and its agencies to ensure that this aid reaches those in need in the Gaza strip,” the statement continued. “The Commission supports Israel’s right to defend itself against the Hamas terrorists, in full respect of international humanitarian law. We are working hard to ensure that innocent civilians in Gaza are provided support in this context.”
According to the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, tripling humanitarian assistance will “help ensure that civilians in Gaza can be provided with the basic necessities required. It is essential that safe and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid is ensured.”
The National Pulse reported that aid from the E.U. has been mishandled by Hamas, as funds for water piping were instead used to create rockets to be deployed against Israel.
