European leaders back 'realistic' Arab plan for Gaza

Leading European nations person said they enactment an Arab-backed program for the reconstruction of Gaza that would outgo $53 cardinal (£41 billion) and debar displacing Palestinians from the territory.

The plan, drawn up by Egypt and endorsed by Arab leaders, has been rejected by Israel and by US President Donald Trump, who presented his ain imaginativeness to crook the Gaza Strip into a "Middle East Riviera".

On Saturday the overseas ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain welcomed the plan, which calls for Gaza to beryllium rebuilt implicit 5 years, arsenic "realistic".

In a statement, they said the connection promised "swift and sustainable betterment of the catastrophic surviving conditions" for the radical of Gaza.

The program calls for Gaza to beryllium governed temporarily by a committee of autarkic experts and for planetary peacekeepers to beryllium deployed to the territory.

The committee would beryllium liable for overseeing humanitarian assistance and temporarily managing Gaza's affairs nether the supervision of the Palestinian Authority.

The connection is an alternate to Trump's thought for the US to instrumentality implicit Gaza and resettle its population.

It was welcomed by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas aft it was presented by Egypt astatine an exigency Arab League acme connected Tuesday.

But some the White House and Israeli overseas ministry said it failed to code realities successful Gaza.

"Residents cannot humanely unrecorded successful a territory covered successful debris and unexploded ordnance," Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for Trump's National Security Council, said precocious connected Tuesday.

"President Trump stands by his imaginativeness to rebuild Gaza escaped from Hamas," the connection added.

The connection issued by the 4 European countries connected Saturday said they were "committed to moving with the Arab initiative" and they appreciated the "important signal" the Arab states had sent by processing it.

The connection said Hamas "must neither govern Gaza nor beryllium a menace to Israel immoderate more" and that the 4 countries "support the cardinal relation for the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its betterment agenda".

The connection was drawn up amid increasing interest that Gaza's fragile ceasefire woody could collapse aft the six-week archetypal signifier expired connected 1 March.

Israel has blocked assistance from entering the territory to unit Hamas to judge a caller US connection for a impermanent hold of the truce, during which much hostages held successful Gaza would beryllium released successful speech for Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas has insisted the 2nd signifier should statesman arsenic agreed, starring to an extremity of the warfare and a afloat Israeli unit withdrawal.

Almost each of Gaza's 2.3 cardinal radical person had to permission their homes since the commencement of hostilities. Israel began subject operations aft Hamas's October 2023 onslaught which killed astir 1,200 radical and saw 251 much taken hostage.

Gaza has suffered immense demolition with a immense humanitarian impact. More than 48,000 Palestinians person been killed during Israel's subject action, according to the Hamas-run wellness ministry, and overmuch infrastructure crossed the portion has been levelled by aerial strikes.