Senate hesitates: cuts in Palestinian aid

World


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"We are deeply concerned that your strategy of forcing the Palestinian Authority to negotiate at the table by denying humanitarian aid to women and children is misguided and intended to turn against them," they wrote. "Your proposed cuts would undermine those who seek a peaceful resolution and reinforce the hands of Hamas and other extremists in the Gaza Strip as the humanitarian crisis worsens."

The letter came after the administration announced last month that it would stop funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a UN agency that distributes aid to Palestinian refugees. These cuts would cost the organization about $ 300 million.

The administration also said it would cut economic aid to Palestinians by $ 200 million and direct that money to other projects.

The State Department said it was cutting funding for UNRWA because the agency was an "irreparably flawed operation." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly told the Trump administration that he supports a complete halt to funding.

The Democrats, in their letter to Trump, noted that US contributions to UNRWA were approved by bipartisan majorities in Congress. They added that these cuts "further reduce the chances of a future peace agreement and threaten the security of Israel".

"We firmly believe that it is in the interests of the national security of the United States, our ally Israel, the Palestinian people and our other partners and allies in the region to promptly enforce the The Economic Support Fund for FY17 initially planned for the West Bank and Gaza and support the United States contributions to UNRWA, "the senators wrote.

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