EU Conference Pledges €900 Million for Gaza Reconstruction

The Gaza Strip will receive approximately €900 million ($1 billion) in aid from Europe for reconstruction efforts, following an EU-backed conference. This funding aims to address the dire humanitarian situation, with about half of Gaza's two million residents living in tents due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The initial focus of the aid will be on establishing basic water and sanitation facilities, and restoring the health and food systems severely impacted by the war. The Team Gaza Initiative will oversee these reconstruction efforts. However, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stressed the need for reforms within the Palestinian Authority for continued support.

Reconstruction needs in Gaza are immense, estimated at $71.4 billion by a UN report in May 2026. The war has affected 371,888 homes, with 85% completely destroyed, and displaced over 1.9 million Palestinians. The conflict, which began with Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, has resulted in over 71,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the UN report.

Despite a ceasefire agreement mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar in October 2025, nearly 70% of the Gaza Strip remains under Israeli army control. Hamas, which controls the remainder, has refused to disarm. The Board of Peace, a body led by diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, is tasked with managing Gaza's civil matters. Meanwhile, a UN Commission of Inquiry has blamed Israel for genocide in Gaza, a claim Israel denies, and the International Court of Justice is currently considering a case brought by South Africa.

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Reforms in the Palestinian Authority are needed for the bloc to continue supporting it.