The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and Britain endorsed an Arab-backed $53 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza, aimed at improving living conditions without displacing Palestinians. The plan, developed by Egypt and approved by Arab leaders, has been rejected by Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump. It proposes establishing a temporary governance committee of Palestinian technocrats to oversee aid and Gaza’s administration after the conflict. The European ministers emphasize the need for Hamas to step aside from governance, support the Palestinian Authority’s central role, and acknowledge the positive signal sent by Arab states in developing the initiative.
Rome:
On Saturday, the foreign ministers from France, Germany, Italy, and Britain expressed their backing for an Arab-supported initiative aimed at Gaza’s reconstruction, projected to cost $53 billion and designed to prevent the displacement of Palestinians from the area.
“This plan presents a practical avenue for Gaza’s reconstruction and, if executed, offers the promise of rapid and sustainable enhancement of the dire living conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza,” the ministers stated in a joint announcement.
Formulated by Egypt and endorsed by Arab leaders earlier this week, the plan has been dismissed by Israel and US President Donald Trump, who has introduced his own proposal to transform the Gaza Strip into a “Middle East Riviera”.
The Egyptian initiative proposes the establishment of an administrative committee composed of independent, professional Palestinian experts tasked with governing Gaza following the conclusion of the ongoing conflict with Israel and the Hamas group.
This committee would oversee humanitarian aid and manage the Strip’s affairs temporarily, with the Palestinian Authority providing supervision.
The joint statement from the four European nations on Saturday emphasized their commitment to collaborating with the Arab initiative and recognized the “significant message” conveyed by the Arab states in developing it.
The statement indicated that Hamas “should neither govern Gaza nor pose a threat to Israel anymore,” reinforcing the four countries’ support for the Palestinian Authority’s pivotal role and its reform agenda.
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