EU funded water pipelines that terrorists turned into rockets

THE European Union helped to build more than 30 miles of water pipelines for Palestinians despite Hamas terrorists telling of their ability to make home-made rockets from the pipes.

Brussels has poured almost €100million (£86.3million) into the projects in territories controlled by the Islamist group over the past decade, an analysis by The Daily Telegraph of the bloc’s foreign aid found. The revelation comes amid a mounting international row over future handouts to Gaza amid fears humanitarian donations could fall into the hands of Hamas.

EU foreign ministers last night held emergency talks over aid worth €295million a year to Palestine after the European Commission announced that the donations had been placed under review in response to attacks on Israel.

However, Josep Borrell, the EU’S chief diplomat, announced last night that aid to Palestinians would continue, meaning €218million more will be dispersed by the end of this year.

But diplomatic sources said the bloc’s decision to maintain financial support for the Middle Eastern territory had been made after a “very tetchy” meeting between Mr Borrell and Olivér Várhelyi, the EU’S neighbourhood commissioner, who announced the initial suspension on Monday.

Both Germany and Austria ordered a halt to their bilateral humanitarian support for the region amid fears the cash could assist the terrorists, who hold some 100 Israeli hostages. But other EU capitals were reluctant to freeze aid, arguing that cutting support would disproportionately punish civilians rather than the perpetrators behind the attack.

In 2021, footage emerged of Hamas terrorists excavating pipes from the desert that were eventually fashioned into home-made rockets.

Their main armament has been the Qassam rocket, assembled from industrial piping, makeshift rocket fuel of sugar and potassium nitrate fertiliser and commercially available explosives.

The Commission has insisted its money had not been handed to Hamas. “The EU is not funding Hamas or their terrorist activities directly or indirectly,” it said.

The EU’S Brussels-based executive has maintained a “no contact policy” with the terror group since 2007.