The EU is one of UNRWA’s top donors. Following Israeli allegations that some staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attack, the EU announced to review its support. While some believe this to be an urgent measure, others warn of collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU’s support for Israel has not harmed the bloc’s image in the Arab world. Slovenian Minister of Culture Asta Vrečko will call on all EU Ministers to sign the Ljubljana Manifesto on Reading at a Higher Level. The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize to Mahsa Amini.
The escalation of violence between Israel and the Islamist militant group Hamas has prompted discussions in Brussels over aid programmes for the Palestinian people. The EU has strongly condemned the attack by Hamas on Israel but has sent out mixed messages over the future of its development aid to the Palestinians.