Listen: Brussels hosts Palestine donor meeting, but delivers no concrete steps

More than 60 delegations gathered in Brussels this Thursday for a meeting of the Palestine Donor Group, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, to discuss Gaza’s reconstruction, future governance, and security, as well as long-awaited reforms to the Palestinian Authority.

But what was actually decided and what are the first reactions?

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You can find the transcript here if you prefer reading:

More than 60 delegations gathered in Brussels this Thursday for a meeting of the Palestine Donor Group, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, to discuss Gaza’s reconstruction, future governance, and security, as well as long-awaited reforms to the Palestinian Authority (PA). But, what was actually decided and what are the first reactions?

Of course at the centre of the talks was the US peace plan recently endorsed by the UN Security Council. The plan envisions a reformed Palestinian Authority, short for PA, taking a central role in administering post-war Gaza and the PA is keen. Prime minister Mohammad Mustafa said reunifying Gaza and the West Bank under one legitimate administration is the only workable path to stability. He also argued that Israel should pay significantly, if not fully, for rebuilding Gaza.

The EU, the PA’s largest financial supporter, broadly agrees that the Authority should govern Gaza, but only after “deep reforms.” Washington also insists on reform first, while Israel rejects any PA involvement at all.

One of the EU’s main practical offers is to train 3,000 Palestinian police officers to help secure the Strip, with France already pledging 100 trainers. The recruits would come from a pool of around 7,000 former Gazan officers who were once working for the PA. And Brussels stresses that Palestinians must be in the lead.

As EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas put it: “Palestinians have to be the ones leading and owning the processes that are happening in Palestine.”

At the same time, the EU is trying to carve out a role in the US-run command centre overseeing the peace plan and hopes for a seat on the soon-to-be created Board of Peace, which is the body meant to guide Gaza’s transition.

All this sits alongside the EU’s new €1.6bn multi-year programme for Palestinian recovery, plus an additional €82m committed to the PEGASE mechanism, which funds PA salaries and essential services.

But despite the activity, criticism is growing. Some lawmakers and experts say Brussels is arriving late to a crisis it could have shaped earlier. Others question whether the PA, which is weakened, unpopular, and struggling with internal corruption issues, can realistically step into Gaza’s governance, even with European backing.

Now why does this matter?

First, because Gaza’s future governance is going to shape regional stability. And Europe, geographically and politically, can’t afford chaos on its doorstep, so it wants a stake in the process.

Second, the EU is the Palestinian Authority’s biggest funder. European taxpayers have already poured billions of euros into Palestinian institutions over the past 15 years. Yet the PA still struggles with legitimacy, corruption allegations, and dwindling support among Palestinians. So, the question is if all this money translates into influence?

Third, the EU is trying to reinvent itself as a geopolitical actor. But while Brussels says it wants to be a “player, not just a payer,” the reality is different because it’s Washington that’s defining the political and security framework in Gaza. Even EU diplomats admit that this donor conference was   largely repackaging existing commitments and not a new strategy.

So, what’s next?

In the coming weeks, we’ll see two key developments:

The follow-up conference in Egypt to actually raise money for Gaza’s reconstruction, because the Brussels meeting didn’t deal with finances at all.

And negotiations over who will sit on the new Board of Peace and who will staff the technocratic Palestinian committee that will run day-to-day governance in Gaza. The EU wants these positions filled largely by PA officials. But Hamas has already rejected the UN plan and many Palestinians could view these bodies as foreign-imposed.

In any case, if the EU wants real influence, it will need more than money and polite statements. It will need a strategy and the political courage to defend it.