An EU-backed donor conference has raised almost €900 million ($1 billion) for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday.
Von der Leyen described the meeting of 65 supporting countries and organizations in Brussels as a “success.”
The Team Gaza Initiative aims to step up and coordinate efforts to rebuild the coastal strip, large parts of which were destroyed by the war with Israel.
According to Germany’s Development Ministry, Berlin is providing €66.5 million in new funding, in addition to nearly €57 million for projects already under way. The aim is to launch emergency measures as quickly as possible to improve living conditions for people living in war-ravaged Gaza, Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said in Brussels.
The funding is intended to assist in providing the civilian population with basic water and sanitation facilities, clearing and disposing of rubble and rubbish, and restoring health, energy, agricultural and food systems.
According to EU sources, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and, for the first time, Ali Shaath, the head of the interim administration in Gaza, also attended the conference.
Nikolay Mladenov was invited to represent the Board of Peace, which was established by US President Donald Trump.
The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said that the bloc’s support is conditional on reforms by the Palestinian Authority. According to its own figures, the EU has provided almost €30 billion in aid for Palestinians since 1994.
“The people of Gaza need sustained financial support to meet basic needs, recover and rebuild their lives. Ultimately, the building of a Palestinian state must be owned and led by the Palestinian people, but they need the backing of the international community,” Kallas said in a statement.
FILE PHOTO – Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa speaks during Ministerial International Partners Meeting on Palestine with Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs Barth Eide and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell. (is associated with: «War-ravaged Gaza gets €900m pledge from donors at Brussels conference») Lukasz Kobus/European Commission/dpa