Austria announced today, Thursday, that it has ended the suspension of aid to Palestinians, which was declared two days after the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7. The review found no indication that the funds were used to finance or promote terrorism. The Austrian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement: "There is no indication that Austrian development projects funded by the Austrian Development Agency have been misused to finance or promote terrorism or to disseminate anti-Semitic content."
It added that nine projects funded by Austria, amounting to a total of 17.5 million euros (18.8 million dollars), underwent review. The ministry did not specify the percentage of projects located in the West Bank, governed by the Palestinian National Authority.
The conservative People's Party, which leads the ruling coalition in Austria, recently positioned the country, known for its neutrality, among the EU member states most supportive of Israel. Shortly after Austria announced on October 9 that it would freeze its aid pending a review, Germany also stated it was reviewing its assistance to Palestinians. The European Union ordered its own review and stated last month that there is no evidence that the funds were going to Hamas and that aid would continue.
