The EU Commission has tripled humanitarian assistance funding for Gaza to over €75 million.

“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,” commission president Ursula con Der Leyen said.

This was announced on 14th October, just a few days after the commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, unexpectedly declared that the 27-nation bloc was immediately suspending “all payments” to the Palestinians.

A few hours later, the commission backtracked and said that it was not suspending payments but that an urgent review of its financial assistance for Palestine to ensure “no EU funding indirectly enables any terrorist organisation to carry out attacks against Israel” would be launched.

“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 by the president 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.”

Meanwhile, Commission Janez Lenarčič explained that the commission is doing “everything in its power” to provide humanitarian support to civilians in the Gaza strip.

“This tripling of EU 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 to humanitarian aid is ensured.”

This also comes soon after the President of the EU Parliament Roberta Metsola gave a controversial “solemn moment” speech where she showed sympathy for the Jewish victims of the Hamas attack. 

Hamas, the governing party of the Gaza Strip, and an internationally recognised terrorist group attacked Southern Israel around a week ago and now a war has erupted. The Israeli government has invaded Gaza with a storm of bombs and told the million innocent civilians living in the northern area to move south into the besieged enclave.

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