Austria is suspending its aid to Palestinians, totaling around 19 million euros ($20 million) for a handful of projects, in response to Islamist group Hamas's deadly attack on Israel, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on Monday.

Neutral Austria's ruling conservatives have adopted one of the most pro-Israel stances in the European Union in recent years. The Israeli flag has been hoisted above the chancellor's office and the Foreign Ministry after the shock Hamas assault launched from the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

We will therefore put all payments from Austrian development cooperation on ice for the time being," Schallenberg told ORF radio in comments confirmed by a spokeswoman, adding the estimate of funds and projects affected.

On Sunday, neighboring Germany debated whether it should stop aid to Palestinians following the Hamas attack, with Development Minister Svenja Schulze of the ruling Social Democrats saying the government had always been careful to check that the money was only used for peaceful ends.

Schallenberg said Austria would assess its projects before deciding how to proceed in consultation with partners within and outside the EU.