Gaza: Several European nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have expressed their support for an Arab-led initiative aimed at rebuilding Gaza, following more than a year of destruction caused by Israel’s military campaign.
The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom released a joint statement on Saturday, backing the $53 billion reconstruction plan. The proposal, drafted by Egypt and approved at a recent Arab League summit in Cairo, is designed to provide a structured approach to rehabilitating the war-torn enclave.
“The plan presents a feasible pathway to Gaza’s reconstruction and offers a chance for rapid and lasting improvements in the dire humanitarian situation faced by Palestinians,” the statement read. The European leaders also stressed that Hamas should not play a role in governing Gaza or pose a security threat to Israel. Instead, they emphasized the importance of the Palestinian Authority (PA) assuming control of the territory and advancing its reform agenda.
In an emergency meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the OIC, representing 57 Muslim-majority countries, also formally endorsed the initiative. The organization called on international donors and financial institutions to expedite funding for the plan.
This Arab-backed proposal is being viewed as an alternative to U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial suggestion that Gaza’s population be removed to facilitate U.S.-led redevelopment efforts, which critics have labeled as ethnic cleansing.
The plan is structured in three phases: an initial six-month period of immediate stabilization, followed by long-term reconstruction and governance reforms over four to five years. Its objectives include rebuilding Gaza’s devastated infrastructure, restoring security, and reestablishing the PA’s governance in the region.
However, both the United States and Israel have rejected the proposal. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated that it “does not meet Washington’s expectations.”
Despite this, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, offered a slightly more optimistic response, describing it as a “good-faith first step from the Egyptians.”
