Without any clear Israeli guarantees on access to Gaza, the EU’s nearly €900m reconstruction announcement earlier this week risks falling short of its intended goals.
Although some aid may be trickling into Gaza, the conditions remain dire – despite a ‘ceasefire’ that has seen over 1,100 people killed by near-daily Israeli airstrikes and artillery attacks. Meanwhile, Israeli ground forces continue to squeeze the population into smaller and smaller areas.
Dubravka Šuica, the EU commissioner for the Mediterranean, announced the funds in Brussels on Monday (13 July), following a second meeting of the Palestine Donor Group co-chaired by Palestine prime minister Mohammad Mustafa.
The money is intended to restore social services, critical infrastructure, and strengthening governance in Gaza, an enclave which needs at least €70bn to rebuild.
James Moran, an associate senior research fellow at the Brussels-based Centre for European Policy Studies, an independent think-tank, says it all depends on Israel.
