European Union Provides €9.29 Million For Palestinian Medical Referrals To Jerusalem Hospitals

The European Union announced it would provide material support for hospitals in the occupied city of Jerusalem that are facing a severe financial crisis, with the disbursement set at 9,290,000 euros.

“The European Union announced the provision of material support for the hospitals of the occupied city of Jerusalem, which are facing a severe financial crisis due to the accumulation of debts owed to the Palestinian Authority”

Al-Jazeera Net

The announcement came in a statement by the European Union representative in Palestine, Alexander Stuttmann, during his visit to Augusta Victoria Hospital (المطلع) in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Al-Jazeera Net

The funding is described as “for the benefit of the Palestinian Authority to support medical transfers to East Jerusalem hospitals,” and it is tied to the EU’s PEGASE mechanism in reporting that names the mechanism explicitly.

The aid is funded by Finland, Italy, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, and it is presented as part of a broader pattern of support since 2013.

Multiple outlets repeat that the EU and its member states and like-minded partners have provided regular support since 2013, with one figure stating that contributions “to date have exceeded more than 225 million euros.”

In the same visit, Stuttmann also urged Israel “urgently” to reopen Gaza crossings so medical supplies can be delivered and patients in critical condition can be evacuated to hospitals in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The reporting also frames the support as coming at a time when the Palestinian health sector is “in a highly fragile state,” with the Palestinian Authority struggling to meet financial obligations after months of Israel withholding tax transfer payments.

The EU’s support is presented as a response to a financial crisis driven by debts owed to the Palestinian Authority and by Israel’s withholding of tax clearance revenues.

In the Al-Jazeera Net account, the EU says the disbursement is meant to help the Palestinian Authority “meet part of its financial obligations toward East Jerusalem hospitals” because of “the unprecedented financial pressures it faces as a result of Israel withholding transfers of tax clearance revenues since May 2025.”

Arab News PK

That same reporting explains that tax clearance revenues are “tax proceeds on goods entering the Palestinian territories collected by Israel at crossings it controls and transferred to the Authority monthly in exchange for a commission,” and it adds that “since 2019, Israel decided to deduct amounts from it before stopping the transfers altogether about a year ago.”

The article then ties the withholding to a broader inability to pay, stating that the stoppage “placed the Authority in a financial crisis, making it unable to fully pay its employees' salaries, with debts accumulating on the private sector and local banks.”

It also provides a specific figure from Palestinian Finance Minister إسطفان سلامة, saying that in February he stated that “the total amount Israel is detaining from the tax clearance funds amounts to 4.4 billion dollars (about 13 billion shekels).”

Another outlet, Arab News PK, describes the same visit and states that the funding will help provide treatment for Palestinians referred to hospitals in the city, naming Augusta Victoria and “Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Society Hospital” as part of the healthcare facilities involved.

The Al-Jazeera Net report further states that “By mid-2024, the debts owed by the Palestinian Authority to East Jerusalem hospitals had exceeded the $100 million mark,” and it specifies that “80-85% of these debts” were owed to the المطلة and المقاصد hospitals.

During his visit to Augusta Victoria Hospital, Alexander Stuttmann framed the EU’s contribution as a commitment to access to essential medical services for Palestinians.

The Al-Jazeera Net report quotes him saying that the European Union and its member states and partners “confirm through this contribution their commitment to ensuring that all Palestinians have access to essential medical services.”

It also says he pointed out that the Palestinian health sector is “in a highly fragile state,” and that the Palestinian Authority is struggling to meet its financial obligations to this sector after months of Israel withholding tax transfer payments.

In the same account, the EU official urged Israel “urgently” to reopen Gaza crossings, because “this is necessary to permit the delivery of medical supplies to hospitals and the evacuation of patients in critical condition to hospitals in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”

Arab News PK similarly reports that Stutzmann called for all border crossings in Gaza to be reopened to allow deliveries of medical supplies and the transport of patients who require treatment, citing the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

SadaNews also describes the EU’s position, stating that the European Union reaffirms its commitment to ensuring Palestinians have access to healthcare and supports the Palestinian Authority while calling for the urgent reopening of Gaza crossings.

The different outlets describe the same EU hospital-support effort with overlapping but not identical emphasis on mechanisms and totals.

Al-Jazeera Net reports that the EU disbursed 9,290,000 euros and adds that Finland, Italy, Switzerland, and Luxembourg contributed, while also stating that estimates of providing an additional 20 million euros from the Union's budget later this year were mentioned in the statement.

وكالة صدى نيوز

Arab News PK frames the same amount as “€9.29 million ($10.88 million)” and says the funding will help provide treatment for Palestinians referred to hospitals in the city, naming Augusta Victoria Hospital and other facilities.

SadaNews specifies that the allocation is €9.29 million and says it is to support Palestinian medical referrals to hospitals in East Jerusalem through the EU's PEGASE mechanism, again naming Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.

جريدة الدستور likewise states that the EU representative Alexander Stuttsman at Augusta Victoria Hospital announced “the disbursement of 9.29 million euros” to support Palestinian medical referrals to East Jerusalem hospitals through the EU's PEGAS mechanism, and it repeats that the EU and partners have provided more than 225 million euros since 2013.

The accounts also differ in how they describe the financial crisis and the debt context, with Al-Jazeera Net providing the detailed explanation of tax clearance revenues and the February figure of 4.4 billion dollars detained.

Yet all accounts converge on the operational goal of enabling medical referrals and the urgent reopening of Gaza crossings to bring in medical supplies and evacuate patients.

Beyond the EU’s hospital funding, one outlet places the announcement alongside Palestinian leadership meetings and a description of Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

“The European Union announced the provision of material support for the hospitals of the occupied city of Jerusalem, which are facing a severe financial crisis due to the accumulation of debts owed to the Palestinian Authority”

Al-Jazeera Net

جريدة الدستور reports that “Earlier, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman,” and it says they reviewed “the latest developments in Palestine” and discussed “several regional and international issues of common interest.”

Al-Jazeera Net

The same report says President Abbas praised Jordan’s King Abdullah II for “supporting the Palestinian cause and defending the rights of the Palestinian people in various international forums,” and it adds that he appreciated “the humanitarian aid provided by the Kingdom, including establishing field hospitals and receiving wounded from the Gaza Strip for treatment.”

It also states that Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) valued “the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan's special role in protecting Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under Hashemite custodianship.”

The report further says that President Abbas briefed the Jordanian King on “the dangerous Israeli escalation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” describing it as a result of “expansionist policies, attempts at annexation, and rising settler violence.”

In the same article, the EU’s call to reopen Gaza crossings is reiterated as part of the medical referral effort, with the outlet stating that the EU “calls for the urgent reopening of the Gaza crossings to bring in medical supplies and evacuate patients.”