EU rallies nations to pledge $1 billion for Gaza reconstruction

The European Union has successfully rallied dozens of nations and international organizations to pledge approximately US$1 billion (900 million euros) in aid for the reconstruction of Gaza.

The initiative, announced by a senior EU official on Monday, July 13, aims to address the extensive damage inflicted upon the Palestinian enclave by two years of Israeli bombardment. However, the delivery timeline and the commencement of reconstruction efforts remain uncertain, complicated by a fragile ceasefire with the Hamas militant group that has been effectively stalled since October.

Dubravka Suica, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, announced the fund following a meeting of the Palestine Donors Group in Brussels. "The ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile, and the situation on the ground for civilians is not getting better," Suica stated, adding that the funds will be channeled through "trusted partners."

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The ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile, and the situation on the ground for civilians is not getting better.

The scale of devastation in Gaza is immense. The United Nations, World Bank, and EU estimate reconstruction costs at US$70 billion. Over 60 million tons of rubble, equivalent to filling nearly 3,000 container ships, need clearing, a process expected to take over seven years, with additional time required for demining.

The meeting also included key figures such as Nickolay Mladenov, head of the US President's Gaza reconstruction board; Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law; Ali Shaath, head of the new Palestinian committee for Gaza's affairs; and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. Mustafa emphasized the need for a "resilient, sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestinian state" for regional stability and lasting peace, a prospect currently opposed by Israel's government. The Palestinian Authority seeks a role in Gaza's reconstruction, but a US plan only vaguely references a future Palestinian state. Separately, EU ministers discussed responses to increased Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, with options including trade restrictions on settlements being debated.

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We are investing not only in the Palestinian future but also in the regional stability, shared security and just and lasting peace for everyone together.