Peace Council proposes $2.45 billion aid plan for Gaza

The US-led Peace Council has proposed a $2.45 billion (approximately €2.15 billion) humanitarian aid plan for the Gaza Strip, intended to span a six-month period. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, amid a prolonged stalemate in peace negotiations and the ongoing devastation of the territory.

While the Peace Council has publicly stated that the UN agency UNRWA has no place in Gaza, reports indicate behind-the-scenes cooperation. Philippe Lazzarini, former head of UNRWA, noted that members of a Palestinian technocratic committee selected by the Council have shown receptivity to working with the agency. Despite official criticism and Israeli calls for its removal, UNRWA remains a critical provider of health and education services, supporting approximately half of the local public health system and managing water and sanitation for over one million people.

The proposed aid package, while significant, remains a fraction of the estimated $70 billion required for long-term reconstruction over the next decade, according to assessments by the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Union.