Leading EU nations have expressed their support for an Arab-backed plan to reconstruct Gaza, which is expected to cost $53 billion (£41 billion) and aims to avoid displacing Palestinians from the territory. The plan, developed by Egypt and endorsed by various Arab leaders, has been rejected by Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump, who proposed his own vision to transform the Gaza Strip into a "Middle East Riviera."
On Saturday, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and Britain welcomed the plan, describing it as "realistic." They issued a statement emphasizing that the proposal promises "swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions" for the people of Gaza.
The plan outlines a temporary governance structure in which a committee of independent experts would oversee the administration of Gaza, while international peacekeepers would be deployed to the territory. This committee would manage humanitarian aid and oversee Gaza's affairs under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority.
The proposal serves as an alternative to Trump's idea that the U.S. should take control of Gaza and facilitate the resettlement of its population. Both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas expressed their support for the plan after it was presented by Egypt at an emergency Arab League summit on Tuesday.
However, the White House and the Israeli foreign ministry have criticized the plan for failing to address the realities on the ground in Gaza. Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for Trump’s National Security Council, stated, "Residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance." The statement reaffirmed Trump's commitment to rebuilding Gaza free from Hamas's influence.
The joint statement from the four European nations expressed their “commitment to working with the Arab initiative” and recognized the “important signal” sent by Arab states in developing the plan. The statement stressed that Hamas "must neither govern Gaza nor pose a threat to Israel" and reiterated support for the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its reform agenda.
The proposal was developed amidst rising concerns that Gaza's fragile ceasefire might collapse after the first phase expired on March 1. Israel has been blocking aid from entering Gaza to pressure Hamas into accepting a new U.S. proposal for a temporary extension of the truce, during which more hostages held in Gaza would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has insisted that the second phase should commence as agreed, leading to an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. Since the conflict began, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have had to evacuate their homes. Israel initiated military operations following Hamas’s attack in October 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 individuals. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has become dire, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting more than 48,000 Palestinian deaths due to Israeli military actions, and extensive destruction of infrastructure across the strip from airstrikes.
