The European Commission says their presence at Donald Trump\u2019s Board of Peace is needed because they have invested heavily in Gaza.<\/p>\n
The gathering in Washington DC on Thursday includes EU commissioner Dubravka \u0160uica<\/a> \u2014\u00a0which reportedly sparked a backlash from key EU member states France and Spain.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are at the table to be not just a payer, but also a player,\u201d Paula Pinho, the European commission\u2019s chief spokesperson, told reporters in Brussels Thursday (19 February).<\/p>\n Although \u0160uica\u2019s participation is not a formal membership, her presence still poses questions on whether the Brussels-executive is adding legitimacy to a Trump-dominated format that appears to directly challenge the United Nations.<\/p>\n \u201cThe commissioner will really focus on Gaza and its reconstruction,\u201d said another commission spokesperson, noting that the EU is the biggest external provider of assistance to the Palestinians.<\/p>\n But how much Brussels has spent and invested in Gaza over the years remains difficult to ascertain.<\/p>\n Last year, the Hadja Lahbib<\/a>, the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, said the full extent of damage to EU-funded infrastructure had yet to be fully assessed.<\/p>\n How much?<\/p>\n Despite repeated demands, the commission has for months also been unable or unwilling to provide EUobserver with any figures on how much it has actually spent on EU-funded infrastructure projects in the enclave \u2014 which spans everything from water-desalination facilities, hospitals, clinics, health centres, schools, and housing units.<\/p>\n And while no specific EU budget exists to support reconstruction yet, the commission says it is committed to exploring options once certain preconditions are met.<\/p>\n This includes \u201ccredible solutions for reconstruction, governance and security\u201d that are acceptable to both Israelis and Palestinians. It would also exclude any role for Hamas in Gaza\u2019s governance.<\/p>\n Last year, it announced some \u20ac1.6bn in support for Palestinians, including \u20ac576m in grants in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and in Gaza for projects dealing with water, energy, and infrastructure.<\/p>\n But Trump\u2019s Peace Board and his flashy real-estate plans<\/a> for Gaza appear to directly conflict with the commission\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n Crucially, Palestine is not represented in the board \u2014 whose charter makes no mention of Gaza or the UN but still includes Israel and its prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<\/p>\n Atrocities continue in Gaza<\/p>\n Trump is expected to announce more than $5bn (\u20ac4.25bn) to redevelop Gaza, just as Israel continues to bomb the enclave and expand its presence in the West Bank.<\/p>\n For its part, the UN estimates total damages for reconstruction in Gaza will surpass $70bn.<\/p>\n A UN report released Thursday<\/a> equates the human toll and suffering in Gaza with ethnic cleansing. <\/p>\n It concludes that \u201cintensified attacks, the methodical destruction of entire neighbourhoods, and the denial of humanitarian assistance appeared to aim at a permanent demographic shift in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n Some 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, died of starvation in Gaza as a direct result of actions <\/a>taken by the Israeli government, it also found.<\/p>\n Gaza now has the highest number of amputee children per capita in the world.<\/p>\n