US Aid Reduction to Palestine Sparks Anger from Abbas' Representative
In a statement published by the official Wafa news agency, Nabil Abu Rudeinah, a senior Palestinian official, has criticised the biased positions of the United States and the dangerous statements made by US officials against the Palestinian people. Abu Rudeinah described these actions as a flagrant violation of international law and warned that they would create a negative atmosphere that could affect the entire world.
The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman also expressed concern over the recent decisions by the United States. He stated that the cutting of direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority and the provision of additional military aid to Israel amounted to a declaration of war on the Palestinian people.
These actions have led to increased pressure on the Palestinian Authority, with the United States imposing visa-related sanctions partly due to the cut in direct financial assistance. Meanwhile, the international community has shown divided responses. Some countries, such as the US and Germany, suspended aid to UNRWA after allegations that some UNRWA staff participated in Hamas activities during the October 7, 2023 attacks. However, the UN Secretary-General emphasised UNRWA's critical humanitarian role in Gaza and the risks its workers face.
The US halted all funding to UNRWA in early 2024 to prevent aid from benefiting Hamas, enacting congressional restrictions on payments at least through March 2025. This cessation of aid, part of the largest restructuring of US foreign assistance, has severely impacted Palestinian civilians. Critical services like safe spaces for women and health facilities supporting hundreds of thousands of mothers and newborns have been eliminated.
The US's increased military aid to Israel contrasts with its cutbacks on aid to Palestinians. While some nations have suspended UNRWA funding out of security concerns, the UN and humanitarian actors continue to stress the necessity of funding to meet urgent needs in Gaza amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises.
The US sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, combined with aid cuts, represent a sharp shift in US policy that has elicited both concern over humanitarian impacts and political tensions in the region. The US pledge to provide $705 million to the Israeli military while cutting off aid for the Palestinian nation will further sour the already tense atmosphere, and undermine the interests of all.
Rudeinah added that Jerusalem (al-Quds) and its sacred sites, in addition to Palestinians' rights, are not up for sale. He also stated that the true peace can only be achieved by the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
The Palestinian leadership and nation, according to Abu Rudeinah, will eventually beat off their challenges and will not allow any ambition project aimed at terminating the Palestinian cause to progress.
This article was published on Al Bawaba's website and was written by Sally Shakkour, the English team leader and news writer for Al Bawaba, with over 6 years of experience in publishing content and digital journalism. Shakkour excels in writing original node stories and monitoring Al Bawaba's social media accounts with insights and knowledge of current trends and popular issues.
Copyright for the article belongs to Press TV. The article was adapted from its original source via SyndiGate.info.
[1] Al Jazeera, "US halts funding to UNRWA over Hamas ties," 2024. [2] Reuters, "US aid cut to UNRWA hits Palestinian health services," 2024. [3] UN News, "UN chief emphasises UNRWA's critical humanitarian role in Gaza," 2024. [4] Middle East Eye, "US cuts aid to UNRWA and Palestinians amid Israeli-Palestinian conflict," 2023.
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- As the political landscape shifts and the White House oversees the changes in US foreign aid, the media is abuzz with facts, opinions, and analysis on the recent events centering on news, politics, and, most importantly, the history of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
