Rome: The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and Britain have expressed support for an Arab-backed initiative aimed at rebuilding Gaza. The project is estimated to cost $53 billion and is designed to prevent the displacement of Palestinians from the enclave.
In a joint statement, the ministers highlighted the plan’s potential to bring rapid and lasting relief to the war-torn region. “The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza,” the statement read.
The reconstruction proposal, developed by Egypt and endorsed by Arab leaders earlier in the week, has been met with rejection from Israel and US President Donald Trump, who has instead put forward his own vision of transforming Gaza into a “Middle East Riviera.”
Under the Egyptian plan, an independent administrative committee composed of Palestinian technocrats would be responsible for governing Gaza after the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas ends.
The committee would oversee humanitarian aid and manage the region’s affairs on a temporary basis under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority.
The statement from the European ministers emphasized their commitment to collaborating with Arab nations on the initiative. “We appreciate the important signal the Arab states have sent by developing this plan,” they noted.
The ministers also underscored the necessity of Hamas relinquishing governance over Gaza, stating that, “Hamas must neither govern Gaza nor be a threat to Israel anymore.”
They further reiterated their support for a strengthened role for the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its reform agenda.
