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The largest donor to Palestinian Territories (PT), the European Union (EU), suspended its USD 300 million aid citing the Hamas’s continued recalcitrance in refusing to recognize Israel, give up violence, and recognize international commitments. The suspension of aid increases the pressure on the Hamas Government to work with the international community.
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he PT Finance Ministry said that this would bankrupt his Government and they would not be able to pay the salaries of the 140,000 employees. British Foreign Secretary dismissed this statement as exaggeration and said that the EU was searching for special vehicles to pay for teachers and doctors. He added “European tax payers will find it intolerable if they found their money used for terrorists or terrorist operations.”
Aid workers have warned that the suspension of aid will have an opposite effect. The hardship will drive people closer to terrorism than away. Aid accounts for 25% of PT income. |
