The European Commission and more than a dozen countries launched the "Team Gaza Initiative" on July 13, 2026, offering approximately €883.6 million ($1 billion) to aid Gaza's early post-war recovery efforts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The funding targets critical sectors such as water and sanitation restoration, debris removal, rebuilding health systems, energy, agriculture, and food security [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Donor countries include Spain, Denmark, the UK, Germany, Norway, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, along with the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. Australia and Canada are expected to join soon [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The committed amount covers only an early recovery phase; the total cost of rebuilding Gaza is estimated at around $70 billion according to UN figures [1, 2, 4].
Dubravka Suica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, said, "Our objective is clear: to help build hope, resilience and a better future for the Palestinian people" [1]. Speaking at the Brussels donor meeting, she added, "We will present the initial package today of almost 900 million euros or one billion dollars" [2]. Suica stressed the need for ground conditions to allow aid delivery: "We now need the conditions on the ground that will allow the support to reach the people in Gaza" and that "to start the real reconstruction, Hamas must disarm first" [2, 3].
A fragile ceasefire has been in place between Israel and Hamas since October 2025 but has faced repeated breaches by Israel [1, 2, 4]. Approximately 2 million people remain displaced amid war-damaged conditions while Israeli forces control nearly 70% of Gaza’s territory [1]. Before the July launch, Suica visited Israel and agreed on the implementation of two large water and waste management projects in Gaza [3, 4, 5].
The initiative represents the earliest stage of recovery efforts after the conflict. Further funding discussions and project implementations are expected as conditions on the ground evolve and donor coordination continues [1, 2].
