EU rules out financial aid to Hamas-led PA

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, reiterated Tuesday that the EU will not give any financial aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority until the Islamic group recognizes Israel.

"We expect from Hamas to respect the Quartet principles.. that means recognition of the state of Israel, cessation of violence, respect of the roadmap. Until they accept these principles of the Quartet, there will not be any financial support for them," Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger said yesterday.

He also condemned Monday's attack carried out by Islamic Jihad in Tel Aviv killing nine people and injuring many others.

The spokesman, however, side-stepped a journalist's question if the Commission also condemns Israel for killing Palestinians in Gaza saying "we strongly condemn all violence."

EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, the EU Presidency, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Belgian Foreign Ministry issued statements condemning the Tel Aviv attack.

However, none of them even bothered to issue any statement condemning the killings of 25 Palestinians, including children, by Israel in the last two weeks.

EU foreign ministers last week decided to suspend financial aid to the Hamas-led government and not to hold any political contacts with the Islamic group which was democratically elected. Hamas is on the terrorist list of the European Union.