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Many Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are desperately in need of humanitarian aid. The European Union has been a significant donor.

But earlier this week, Oliv茅r V谩rhelyi, the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, said the bloc had placed development aid to Palestinians worth over the equivalent of US$700 million dollars under review and immediately suspended all payments.

Soon after, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, said humanitarian aid to Palestinians will continue.

Newsday asked the European parliament member, Salima Yenbou, in Brussels, where European Union representatives and commissioners stand on EU aid bound for the Palestinians, particularly those living in Gaza under the rule of the militant group Hamas.

"Ministers of Foreign Affairs [in the European Union] confirmed that they are almost unanimous about... continuing sending humanitarian - but also developmental - aid to Palestine. Hamas is not Palestine. It's very important to keep our engagement with the UN agency and other organisations on the ground."

(Pic: A Palestinian boy holds a child as he stands on the rubble after Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip; Credit: Reuters)

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