US Resumes Aid to Palestinians With $235 Million

The United States said Wednesday it is restarting assistance to the Palestinians, announcing $235 million in new humanitarian, economic and development support, reversing a Trump-era decision to cut such funding.

The bulk of the money will go through the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees – United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) – which received $150 million. Another $10 million will be disbursed through USAID for peace-building programs; and $75 million will fund economic and development assistance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Security assistance programs also will restart. "U.S. foreign assistance for the Palestinian people serves important U.S. interests and values," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement announcing the resumption of aid. "It provides critical relief to those in great need, fosters economic development, and supports Israeli-Palestinian understanding, security coordination and stability. It also aligns with the values and interests of our allies and partners." In 2018, as relations between the Trump administration and the Palestinian Authority leadership deteriorated over the administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. Embassy there, the administration cut more than $200 million in bilateral aid. That year, it also began to cut its support to UNRWA, ultimately withdrawing more than $300 million in support.