Spain reacts to EU decision to halt aid to Palestine

Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz reacted to the freezing of European Union (EU) development aid to Palestinians while conflict between Israel and Palestine continues, with the words, "This decision is a betrayal of Europe's founding principles." In a post she shared on X, Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz made a statement regarding the EU Commission's decision to freeze development aid payments and review such projects. Describing the decision in question as "very ugly," Diaz stated that this was "a real betrayal of Europe's own founding principles." Yolanda Diaz called on the Commission to correct the decision, and shared the view that, "Instead of punishing an entire people, Europe should lead international action for peace." According to news based on diplomatic sources in the local press, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares pointed out that the decision was taken without consulting the member countries, and conveyed his dissatisfaction with the decision to his counterparts in the Commission. Reactions to EU decision EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi announced that they had decided to review all development aid totaling 691 million euros to the Palestinians and to freeze all payments due to Hamas’ attacks on Israel. On the other hand, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management and Humanitarian Aid Janez Lenarcic announced that despite the freeze in development aid, humanitarian aid would continue. The decision announced by Varhelyi provoked reactions from some EU member states. Luxembourg and Ireland expressed their dissatisfaction with “the decision taken without consultation with EU members.” The EU Commission’s decision to suspend development aid is expected to be brought to the agenda of the EU Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held via video conference tomorrow. It has been reported that some countries have requested that the issue be put on the agenda. “Aqsa Flood” attack Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, launched a comprehensive attack on Israel on the morning of October 7 under the name of “Aqsa Flood.” While thousands of rockets were fired from Gaza in the direction of Israel, Palestinian armed groups raided and captured the Beit Hanun-Erez Border Gate on the Gaza-Israel border. The armed groups then entered settlements inside Israel from here, and the Israeli army launched an attack on the Gaza Strip with dozens of warplanes. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza announced that 687 people, 140 of whom were children, had been killed and 3,726 injured in Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Israeli forces had also killed 16 Palestinians in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank since October 7. The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that at least 900 Israelis had been killed and 2,616 people had been injured, 157 of them seriously, in the attacks from Gaza.