French Minister Calls on the European Union to Investigate the Transfer of Funding to Humanitarian Organizations for Hamas

French Minister of State for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad, has urged the European Commission to open an urgent investigation to verify information suggesting the potential diversion of European funding intended for non-governmental organizations operating in the Palestinian territories to Hamas.

This came in an official letter dated Tuesday, which the French minister sent to the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and the relevant European commissioners, a copy of which was obtained by Agence France-Presse.

In the text of the letter, Haddad wrote: "I have recently been alerted to suspicions that Hamas has been imposing restrictions on NGOs and international organizations operating in the Palestinian territories since 2020."

The minister expressed his deep concern over this information, noting that it "raises significant concerns about the integrity of European funding and the protection of European taxpayers who must be able to ensure that their contributions are used solely for humanitarian purposes."

He pointed out that the EU provides support to several humanitarian organizations active in the region, such as "Handicap International," "Norwegian Refugee Council," and "International Medical Corps," making the investigation into the fate of those funds a "pressing matter."

Haddad revealed in his letter that France, in cooperation with Austria and the Netherlands, had previously proposed at the European level "proposals aimed at ensuring respect for the promotion of European values by beneficiaries of European funding."

The minister emphasized the French position by stating: "France considers it unacceptable to provide European funding to organizations that operate for humanitarian purposes, and which may have structures that are subject to some form of intervention by Hamas networks."

He added: "These international organizations should not find themselves in a position where they are forced to accept support from a structure considered terrorist at the European level in order to operate and provide their humanitarian services," calling for "a full investigation into these allegations."

The letter called for concrete actions beyond the investigation, including enhancing transparency and establishing stricter mechanisms to monitor financial flows. France specifically called for the establishment of a "more robust funding suspension mechanism" that could be activated in case of any deviations.

Haddad concluded his warning by stating: "In the face of these ongoing violations of rights and European values by external entities, the Union and its agencies and operators, as well as member states, must double their vigilance."

This request comes in the context of the French follow-up on the file, as Minister Haddad had previously requested in May from Brussels to enhance oversight of European funding to ensure it does not reach entities "linked to anti-Semitism or extremists."

The European Commission has yet to issue an official response to the new letter, while observers are awaiting practical steps to initiate the requested investigation.