Aid to Palestinians is in question: is it possible to help civilians without funding Hamas?

“Not a single euro of French aid” should reach a “terrorist organization,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne assured the National Assembly on Tuesday. Since Saturday, the day of the attack on Israel, doubts have been raised about the aid provided by the European Union to Palestine: could it be partly redirected to finance armed attacks by Hamas, considered a terrorist organization?

In any case, for this reason, the European Commissioner Oliver Warhely said on Monday that the EU would suspend its activities. €691 million in development assistance for the Palestinians. However, this statement was quickly refuted by EU authorities. And on Tuesday evening, foreign ministers from 27 countries spoke out against the “overwhelming majority” of the suspension of their aid. The plan is only to “test” their use to check how they are spent.

Some countries, such as Germany, had previously announced they would temporarily suspend development aid, but not humanitarian aid. Others, such as Spain or France, on the contrary, spoke out against the suspension of donations. “Collective punishment of the people cannot be the right answer to the madness of Hamas terrorists,” presented by MEP Nathalie Loiseau.

“There’s always a risk of skidding”

In fact, it is very difficult to know whether Hamas took advantage of this international assistance. “There is always a risk of drift,” Jean-François Corti, vice president of Doctors of the World, told Le Parisien, especially “in conflict zones where there is extreme poverty and therefore predation.” But “we have the tools to avoid this,” he insists, and teams “on the ground monitor donations and expenses.”

The experts interviewed emphasize that the spending of international funds, including EU funds, is closely monitored. “Our aid is paid to UN organizations on the ground who act directly to provide access to water, food security, health or education,” explained Elizabeth Bourne. “There are secure institutions and channels,” says Agnès Levallois, vice-president of the Mediterranean and Middle East Research Institute. But “is it completely waterproof?” “It’s always a little hard to find out,” she adds.

“We actually have no evidence of funding from Hamas,” explains Simone Rodan Benzaquen, director of the AJC (American Jewish Committee) in Europe. But “aid in Gaza goes to structures, associations,” many of which are controlled by Hamas. However, the latter “cannot control everything,” emphasizes Agnès Levallois, recalling that “the population does not 100% support Hamas.”

Some are calling for aid to be conditional on not funding Hamas. According to Jean-François Corti, international aid remains “vital for this population” and we must “keep giving”.