BRUSSELS: The EU plans to tell Israel next week that Palestinians uprooted from their Gaza homes should be ensured a dignified return and that Europe will contribute to rebuilding the shattered territory, according to a document.

That echoes Arab positions but conflicts with President Donald Trump’s stated aim for the US to take over the shattered coastal strip and rebuild it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” while Gazans emigrate to other nations. The EU, which has been a major aid provider to Palestinians, is to outline its position to Israeli officials in talks in Brussels on Feb 24 as part of the EU-Israel Association Council, the first such session since 2022.

A document outlining the draft EU position emphasises both Europe’s commitment to Israel’s security and its view that displaced Gazans should be ensured a safe and dignified return to their homes in Gaza. “The EU will actively contribute to a coordinated international effort to early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza,” it said, also calling for full humanitarian access.

“The EU deeply deplores the unacceptable number of civilians, especially women and children, who have lost their lives, and the catastrophic humanitarian situation notably caused by the insufficient entry of aid into Gaza, in particular in the North.”

More than 48,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of the enclave has been laid waste with most of its 2.3 million pre-conflict population displaced multiple times, humanitarian agencies say.

The EU strongly opposes all actions that undermine the viability of the two-state solution, the document added, referring to its position that Palestinians should have an independent homeland alongside Israel.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2025