Trump cuts funding to East Jerusalem hospitals

US President Donald Trump cut more funding to Palestinians at the weekend by withdrawing $25 million (Dh91.9m) in aid for East Jerusalem hospitals, drawing further criticism of his government’s aid policies.

The latest cut comes after the US withdrew all funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. It threatens to ruin struggling medical centres helping Arabs across the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem.

“The hospital is going through a suffocating crisis as a result of the lack of flow of financial aid, and the piling up of debts and funds held back by the Palestinian government,” Al Makassed Islamic Charitable Society Hospital said.

It said it had received 45m shekels (Dh46m) of the US money to treat patients from the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Hospital chief executive Dr Bassam Abu Libdeh questioned “the justification behind mixing political issues with medical and humanitarian issues”.

This year, Mr Trump called for a review of US assistance to Palestinians to ensure funds were being spent in accordance with national interests and were providing value to taxpayers.

“As a result of that review, at the direction of the president, we will be redirecting approximately $25m originally planned for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network,” a State Department official said on Saturday.

“Those funds will go to high-priority projects elsewhere.”

The aid cut is the latest in a number of actions by the Trump government that have alienated the Palestinians, including moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.