President Donald Trump has ordered that $25 million earmarked for the care of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem hospitals be directed elsewhere as part of a review of American aid, a US State Department official said on Saturday.
Trump called for a review of US assistance to the Palestinians earlier this year to ensure the funds were being spent in accordance with American 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 $25 million originally planned for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network,” the State Department official said.
“Those funds will go to high-priority projects elsewhere.”
The aid cut is the latest in a number of actions by the Trump administration that have alienated the Palestinians, including the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
