EU Slams Israel over Planned Sale of Seized Aid in West Bank

The tents and other humanitarian structures will be put up for auction within days by COGAT, the Israel defense ministry unit which oversees civilian activities in the Palestinian territories, the EU's spokesman in Jerusalem Shadi Othman said in a statement, AFP reported.

The supplies include "two school structures that had been consigned to Ibziq community, and two tents and three metal sheds to the al-Hadidiya community," Othman added.

The aid was seized in October and November by Israeli troops and is worth 15,320 euros ($17,100), according to Othman.

On May 6, COGAT published an advertisement in the Maariv newspaper, detailing the sale of “seized property” from the occupied West Bank.

The newspaper ad detailing the sale read, "In the case where the owners of these seized assets have not proceeded to request the return of their property within 30 days of the publication of this notice, the assets will be sold."

The EU made an official request for the return of the structures but received no response, Othman said.

"EU missions in Jerusalem (Quds) and Ramallah had called on Israeli authorities to return the confiscated items to their intended beneficiaries without precondition as soon as possible" or provide compensation, the spokesman added.

The EU often finances humanitarian structures in Bedouin villages, which are sometimes confiscated by Israeli authorities who claim the necessary authorization has not been given. The Bedouin communities say it is very difficult to obtain the proper building permits living under Israeli control for more than 50 years.