RAMALLAH, June 8, 2026 (WAFA) – Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa met on Monday with a high-level European delegation in Ramallah on the sidelines of the launch of the eighth edition of the EU-Palestine Investment Platform.
The delegation included Michael Karnitschnig, Acting Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf at the European Commission; Gelsomina Vigliotti, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB); European Union Representative to Palestine Alexandre Stutzmann; and accompanying officials. Palestinian Minister of Finance and Planning Estephan Salameh also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Mustafa briefed the delegation on the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly the escalation of settler violence and Israeli actions against Palestinians. He said that 1,659 attacks were recorded during the past month alone, describing them as part of efforts to expand control over Palestinian land and displace local residents.
The Prime Minister also outlined the severe economic challenges facing the Palestinian people and institutions, citing Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues and a 30 percent contraction in the Palestinian economy. He noted that unemployment has reached unprecedented levels as a result of Israeli restrictions on movement and economic activity.
Mustafa called for increased international pressure, particularly from European countries, to halt what he described as illegal Israeli measures and settler violence.
He also urged the European Union to become more actively engaged in humanitarian relief and early recovery efforts, especially in light of the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, restrictions imposed by Israel, delays in implementing the transitional recovery phase, and continued violations of the ceasefire announcement.
For his part, Karnitschnig reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting the State of Palestine politically and economically and strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly under the current challenging circumstances.
He reiterated the EU’s position on the unity of the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the Palestinian political system and renewed the bloc’s opposition to settler violence and unilateral Israeli measures that undermine Palestinian institutions.
Meanwhile, Vigliotti reaffirmed the European Investment Bank’s support for the Palestinian economy, including strategic initiatives aimed at supporting the private sector, the banking sector, and infrastructure projects designed to improve services for Palestinians.
The EU-Palestine Investment Platform was launched in December 2020 as a joint initiative between the European Union and Palestine. Later on Monday, a series of financial cooperation agreements with the Palestinian banking sector were scheduled to be signed under the patronage of Prime Minister Mustafa.
K.T
