European aid for the Palestinians

The European Union handed over the UN a sum of 78 million dollars in urgent aid for the Palestinians but threatened to halt the aid in the future "unless Hamas government abides by peace."

Austria's foreign minister whose country presides over the current rotating presidency of the European Union said that Hamas is at a crossroad and it has to decide its own position and respond to international demands. She added "that the democracy which had brought Hamas to authority, makes it necessary to have several responsibilities, especially not to get itself involved in violence."

Meantime, an survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that 75% of Palestinians say that Hamas should engage Israel in peace negotiations, but 59% believe Hamas should not recognize Israel (only 37% believe it should).