PA Denies EU Threatening to Reduce Aid to Palestinians

Head of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission Hanna Nasser delivers an official invitation to EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff to observe the elections, last month (WAFA)
Head of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission Hanna Nasser delivers an official invitation to EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff to observe the elections, last month (WAFA)
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PA Denies EU Threatening to Reduce Aid to Palestinians

Head of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission Hanna Nasser delivers an official invitation to EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff to observe the elections, last month (WAFA)
Head of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission Hanna Nasser delivers an official invitation to EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff to observe the elections, last month (WAFA)

The Palestinian Authority has denied that the European Union (EU) threatened to cut aid if the PA cancelled the elections.

Member of the Central Committee of Fatah Hussein Al-Sheikh said, "The Palestinian elections are a Palestinian decision par excellence, and stem from Palestinian national interests, to strengthen the democratic approach with the participation of all Palestinians to enshrine the legitimacy of the fund."

"All the European and other threats are rumored, unfounded, and intentional disturbances,” he added.

Israel's official broadcaster Kan said that European officials had sent a message to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stating that if the parliamentary elections scheduled for May were cancelled, Europe's support for the authority, estimated at €350 million would be cut or reduced.

According to the channel, officials and diplomats said, "The situation in which the European Union and European countries continue to pump millions into the PA without a democratic and reform process, cannot continue.”

Later on, the EU denied reports that it had threatened to reduce aid provided to the Authority if it doesn't hold elections.

"We were surprised by what was reported in some media outlets. There was no comment or statement from the EU on this subject," said the European Union spokesman in Palestine, Shadi Othman.

Elections are scheduled to take place in three phases - legislative on May 22, presidential on July 31 and National Assembly on August 31.



Israeli Strikes Kill 47 People in Eastern Lebanon

Rescuers evacuate bodies of victims from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on November 14, 2024. (Photo by Nidal SOLH / AFP)
Rescuers evacuate bodies of victims from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on November 14, 2024. (Photo by Nidal SOLH / AFP)
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Israeli Strikes Kill 47 People in Eastern Lebanon

Rescuers evacuate bodies of victims from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on November 14, 2024. (Photo by Nidal SOLH / AFP)
Rescuers evacuate bodies of victims from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on November 14, 2024. (Photo by Nidal SOLH / AFP)

Israeli strikes killed at least 47 people in eastern Lebanon on Thursday, a Lebanese official said.

Bachir Khodr, governor of Lebanon's Baalbek-Hermel province, said at least 47 were killed and 22 wounded in Israeli strikes in the Baalbek region.

Posting on X, he said rescue operations were underway.

Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,583 people and wounded 15,244 in Lebanon since October 2023, with 25 fatalities reported on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said on Thursday.