EU emergency fund proposed Aid to Gaza linked to return of soldiers

AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands has proposed establishing a fund for nations worst hit by the coronavirus and has asked other countries in the European Union to contribute, Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra says.

The Netherlands has been criticised by southern European countries who accuse it of lacking solidarity in its response to the coronavirus.

‘‘What we are proposing is a healthcare emergency fund to which the Netherlands would make a very substantial contribution,’’ Hoekstra told Reuters yesterday.

‘‘It would be roughly a billion euros [$NZ1.84 billion] and that would be a gift as a sign of solidarity intended for countries dealing with the coronavirus.’’

Other nations in the 27member bloc had reacted positively to the proposal, he said.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Parliament earlier the Netherlands preferred to make a ‘‘gift’’ to European countries in financial distress as a result of the pandemic rather than issue joint bonds or tap the European Union’s bailout fund. — Reuters

JERUSALEM: Israel yesterday linked any assistance it might offer for the Gaza Strip’s efforts against coronavirus to progress in its attempt to recover two Israeli soldiers lost during the 2014 war in the Palestinian enclave.

Both Israel and Hamas have closed the Gaza border but with Gaza authorities appealing for foreign humanitarian assistance, Israel has been weighing its role.

‘‘The moment there is talk of the humanitarian world in Gaza — Israel also has humanitarian needs, which are mainly the recovery of the fallen,’’ Defence Minister Naftali Bennett said. ‘‘And I think that we need to enter a broad dialogue about Gaza’s and our humanitarian needs. It would not be right to disconnect these things . . . and certainly, our hearts would be open to many things.’’

Hamas said returning the soldiers would require a prisoner swap and would not be done in exchange for humanitarian aid.

‘‘Israel bears responsibility for any consequences should the disease spread in Gaza because it has been blockading it for 13 years,’’ Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said.

‘‘A prisoner swap deal is a separate track.’’