EU Pledges €900 Million for Gaza as Ministers Target Israeli Settlements
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The European Union has pledged €900 million for Gaza's reconstruction, while EU ministers consider controversial measures against Israeli settlements, raising concerns about interference in Israel’s security and sovereignty.
The European Union announced it had coordinated pledges totaling €900 million (about $1 billion) to support the reconstruction of Gaza after two years of conflict. European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica made the announcement following a meeting of the Palestine Donors Group in Brussels, which brought together donors from the EU, the Middle East, and international organizations, highlighting the EU’s ongoing involvement in the region.
“The ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile, and the situation on the ground for civilians is not getting better,” Šuica said, adding that the funds would be channeled through “trusted partners.”
Despite the significant financial commitment, the exact timing and disbursement schedule for the money remain unclear, and the cease-fire that began in October is described as stalled. United Nations, World Bank, and EU estimates place the total cost of rebuilding Gaza at roughly $70 billion, with more than 60 million tons of rubble to be cleared—a result of ongoing hostilities fueled by extremist groups.
Representatives at the meeting included Nickolay Mladenov, head of the Board of Peace established by the United States, Jared Kushner, and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, who reiterated calls for a “resilient, sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestinian state,” a position that often overlooks Israel’s legitimate security concerns and the threat posed by hostile actors in Gaza.
In a separate session, EU foreign ministers debated how to respond to what they describe as rising violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Options under consideration include cutting off trade with Israeli settlements, a drastic step that would require a majority vote of the 27-nation bloc and could undermine Israel’s sovereignty. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova questioned whether sanctions would have a meaningful impact, while Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said a clear majority supports severing commercial ties with the settlements, reflecting a growing willingness in the EU to pressure Israel rather than address the root causes of the conflict.