France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom announced their support on Saturday for an Arab-backed plan to rebuild Gaza, calling it a "realistic path" to reconstruction and humanitarian recovery. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the four European nations hailed the $53 billion (€50.5 billion) proposal, emphasizing that if implemented, it could bring "swift and sustainable improvement" to living conditions in Gaza. The plan, endorsed by Arab leaders earlier this week and led by Egypt, aims to avoid the displacement of Palestinians while fostering long-term stability in the region. The reconstruction blueprint consists of a phased approach spanning five years. An initial six-month phase will focus on clearing debris, de-mining, and establishing temporary housing. This will be followed by the construction of 200,000 housing units over the next two years, with an additional 200,000 units planned in the second phase. By 2030, the plan envisions hundreds of thousands of new homes, an airport, industrial zones, hotels, and parks, creating housing for up to three million people. The proposal also calls for Gaza to be governed by a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA). "We explicitly support the central role for the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its reform agenda," the European ministers stated. While the European nations welcomed the plan, the Trump administration dismissed the proposal after its adoption earlier this week. White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said the current proposal "does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable." In their joint statement, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK also underscored their position that Hamas "must neither govern Gaza nor be a threat to Israel anymore," aligning with international calls for the removal of the militant group from power. As diplomatic efforts continue, tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have begun returning to northern Gaza for the first time in months, signaling the urgency of reconstruction efforts in the war-torn enclave. — Agencies
