EU announces $1.8 billion aid package for Palestinian Authority

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union connected Monday unveiled a fiscal assistance bundle of up to 1.6 cardinal euros ($1.8 billion) to enactment the beleaguered Palestinian Authority and money projects successful the West Bank, Jerusalem and war-ravaged Gaza.

The connection came arsenic Israel expanded its violative crossed Gaza implicit the weekend.

More than a 3rd of the money, to beryllium provided implicit 2 years, volition travel arsenic nonstop fund enactment to the Palestinian Authority and it's aimed astatine improving fiscal sustainability, antiauthoritarian governance and services to assistance the backstage assemblage develop.

“Our programme aims to enactment the Palestinian radical successful gathering a sustainable future," said EU Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica. “It’s astir the governing capacity. It’s astir advancing economical recovery. It’s astir strengthening the resilience of the backstage sector.”

Speaking to reporters aft talks successful Luxembourg with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, she said "a well-functioning and reformed Palestinian Authority indispensable play a cardinal relation successful the post-conflict governance of Gaza. This is our position.”

Over 576 cardinal euros ($653 million) successful grants volition spell to money projects successful respective sectors crossed the Palestinian territories, with 82 cardinal euros ($93 million) going to the U.N. Palestinian exile agency.

The backstage assemblage tin payment from up to 400 cardinal euros ($456 million) successful low-cost loans from the EU, the world's largest assistance donor to the Palestinians.