Elham Asaad Buaras
The European Commission has declined to comment on growing calls for Israel to fund the reconstruction of Gaza, stating it sees no parallel with the EU’s concerted push to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s rebuilding. The question of reparations follows the recent ceasefire agreement for Gaza, signed in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Brokered by US President Donald Trump alongside mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, the initial phase of the deal saw Israeli troops withdraw from parts of Gaza and Hamas release the last 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The agreement does not, however, address the potential responsibility of the Israeli government for reconstruction.
When asked by a reporter if the same logic applied to Russia should see Israel pay for Gaza’s reconstruction, European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho offered no position. “It is certainly an interesting question on which I have no comment to make at this stage,” Pinho told journalists in Brussels.
The EU is currently advancing a high-profile plan to use profits from frozen Russian central bank assets to secure a €140 billion (£120 billion) loan for Ukraine—a move Moscow has condemned as “theft.” The legally complex scheme, designed to avoid outright confiscation, would invest the blocked Russian funds into EU-backed bonds. While the proposal has the backing of Germany, France, and several eastern EU states, it faces strong resistance from Belgium, where most of the immobilised assets are held.
No similar mechanism has been proposed for Gaza, where the scale of devastation would require billions in reconstruction funds. The conflict has led to what local health authorities report as over 65,000 Palestinian deaths since Israel launched its military operation in response to the Hamas attack of October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage. The war has resulted in unprecedented destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Photo: European Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho speaks to journalists in Brussels, declining to comment on whether Israel should pay for Gaza’s reconstruction, despite the EU’s active push to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine. (Credit: Dursun Aydemir/AA)
