Germany should urgently review the money it spends on humanitarian aid for Palestinians, given the ongoing large-scale attacks by Hamas militants on Israeli civilians, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Saturday.
“The terrorism [committed against Israelis] is shocking. We should react to it not only with words,” Lindner, the leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), told the newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
“I therefore hope to receive a recommendation from the foreign minister on how the German state should proceed with the financial support for the Palestinians in light of this violence.” The minister added that any decision regarding the aid should be “implemented immediately.”
According to Lindner, Berlin transferred €340 million ($360 million) in humanitarian and development aid for Palestinians in 2021 and 2022 alone.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), chair of the parliamentary defense committee, expressed similar concerns. “This cowardly attack by Hamas on innocent civilians must absolutely be used as an opportunity to thoroughly review all German, EU and UN aid funds earmarked for Gaza,” she told the publisher Funke Mediengruppe.
Meanwhile, Gregor Gysi, an MP for the Left Party (Die Linke), opposed cutting aid to Gaza. “Palestinian organizations can and must be supported, but not Hamas,” the politician told Der Spiegel magazine. He also condemned Hamas for killing civilians and taking Israelis hostage.
Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Saturday morning, firing rockets from Gaza and sending groups of militants across the border. Israel responded by striking targets in Gaza which it said were used by the group.