The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain said they support the Arab plan to rebuild Gaza, which will cost $53 billion and avoid displacing the Strip’s residents.
The ministers said in a joint statement that “the plan shows a realistic path to rebuilding Gaza and promises, if implemented, a rapid and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions of Palestinians living in Gaza.”
The plan was drafted by Egypt and adopted by Arab leaders last Tuesday, but US President Donald Trump has rejected it.
Trump has put forward his vision for Gaza, which seeks to transform the Strip into what he described as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
On its part, the Egyptian proposal envisions the formation of an administrative committee of independent "professional" Palestinians who will be tasked with governing Gaza after the end of the war in the Strip.
The committee will be responsible for overseeing humanitarian aid and managing the affairs of the Strip for a temporary period, under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority.
The statement issued by the European countries said that they are "committed to working with the Arab initiative" and expressed their appreciation for the "important signal" sent by the Arab countries through its formulation.
The statement stated that Hamas "should no longer rule Gaza nor pose a threat to Israel", and that the four countries "support the central role of the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its reform agenda".
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