Brussels has committed 900 million euros, or $1 billion, for Gaza's reconstruction, a sum announced by European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica following a meeting of the Palestine Donors Group. This significant financial pledge, coordinated by the European Union, highlights the increasing role of supranational bodies in dictating the future of regions far beyond their borders. Funds are slated to move through undisclosed 'trusted partners'. The announcement came after two years of Israeli bombardment left much of the Palestinian enclave in ruins.
The Palestine Donors Group, which convened in Brussels, includes EU and Middle East nations, alongside various international organizations and financial institutions. The actual delivery of this money, and when any reconstruction might begin, remains uncertain. The ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militant group, which took effect less than one year ago in October, is effectively stalled. Commissioner Suica stated that the ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile and the situation for civilians on the ground isn't getting better.
Few areas in the Palestinian territory, home to over 2 million people, have been spared destruction. The United Nations, World Bank, and EU collectively estimate that full reconstruction will cost $70 billion. The U.N. reports Gaza holds more than 60 million tons of rubble, enough to fill nearly 3,000 container ships. Clearing this debris alone will take over seven years, with additional time required for demining efforts.
The Transnational Architects
The Brussels meeting brought together a collection of transnational figures and officials. Among them were Nickolay Mladenov, head of the Board of Peace established by U.S. President Donald Trump to lead Gaza’s reconstruction, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Also present were Ali Shaath, head of the new Palestinian committee meant to administer Gaza’s daily affairs but still unable to enter the territory, and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. Mladenov has made it clear that the next steps in implementing the ceasefire are stalled over the difficult issue of disarming Hamas militants in Gaza.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa articulated a vision for "a resilient, sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestinian state," a concept Israel’s current government has opposed. Mustafa claimed, “We are investing not only in the Palestinian future but also in the regional stability, shared security and just and lasting peace for everyone together.” The Palestinian Authority seeks a role in Gaza’s reconstruction, yet the U.S. 20-point plan only makes a vague reference to the possibility of a future Palestinian state, underscoring the gap between national aspirations and externally imposed frameworks.
Bypassing National Will
Separately, top diplomats from the 27-nation EU debated how to respond to increased Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission, has put forward options including cutting off trade with Israeli settlements in the territory. Nations like Ireland and Spain are pushing for forceful action, while others, including the Czech Republic and Germany, alongside the Commission itself, are more cautious, seeking to apply incremental pressure. Some member nations have signaled they would veto sanctions, revealing internal resistance to Brussels' overreach.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova questioned the efficacy of such measures, asking, “Do sanctions have a meaningful impact or not? What role could they play as a political message, and would this be escalatory in a wrong direction?” The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, confirmed that the European Council’s legal service had determined that severing trade ties with Israeli settlements in the West Bank—not technically sanctions—would require only a majority vote, not total unanimity from bloc members. This bureaucratic maneuver allows the transnational elite to bypass national vetoes. Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel asserted that a clear majority in the EU agrees on severing commercial ties with the settlements. He dismissed arguments that tough action would boost Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chances in an election upcoming later this year in October, declaring, “I hope that now it’s time for decisions.” This statement underscores the transnational elite's disregard for national democratic processes and the self-determination of sovereign peoples.