The European Union is tightening its conditions for providing financial aid to the Palestinians after the Gaza war. According to EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, the audit report did not show that EU money went directly or indirectly to the radical Islamic Hamas. However, Brussels wants to be more careful in the future and check whether recipients of funds are inciting hatred, violence or anti-Semitism.
The EU’s support for the Palestinians has been put to the test after the brutal Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which killed 1,200 and left around 240 abducted. The EU submitted a Report on aid worth €331 million for this year and found no evidence of EU funds going to Hamas. However, €8 million was suspect as recipients participated in hate speech and “glorification of terror.” Brussels requested “further information” from local partners about an additional €39 million.
The audit also classified €75 million in aid to the Gaza Strip as “non-feasible” and recommended redistributing it. Despite this, the EU remains committed to being the biggest supporter of Palestinians worldwide. In total, aid for this period from 2021 to 2024 will amount to almost €1.2 billion euros. Germany and other member states have also followed suit with their national aid after the Hamas attack on Israel, with Germany giving €90 million euros to both Gaza Strip and Jordan recently. The audit for other areas is expected to be completed soon as stated by State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth during an EU meeting in Brussels.