A Palestinian child walks near a camp for the displaced on the beach in Gaza City. AFP
"We will present the initial package today of almost 900 million euros or one billion dollars," Dubravka Suica, EU commissioner for the Mediterranean, said ahead of a donor meeting in Brussels.
"We now need the conditions on the ground that will allow the support to reach the people in Gaza."
The funds -- which officials said include money already pledged to help Gaza -- would be used to clear debris left from Israel's devastating war on the Strip and rebuild basic services such as water and sanitation.
"The governments of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, together with the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, are participating," Brussels said.
The EU said Suica had, on a recent visit to Israel, "reached an agreement with the Israeli authorities on next steps for the implementation of two major projects in the areas of waste and water management in Gaza".
The commissioner said donors "want to start with so-called early recovery, and it is very important to show that we are willing to do it."
"But to do that, we need disarmament of Hamas in order to start proper recovery," she said.
Humanitarian needs in Gaza remain overwhelming as Israel's war and blockade of more than two million Palestinians show no signs of easing.
The United Nations estimates reconstruction will take years and require tens of billions of dollars, as construction materials and debris-clearing equipment remain in critical short supply.
Representatives from the US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, meant to help prepare for post-war Gaza, attended the Brussels meeting.
Suica said that should help "ensure coordination and complementarity in our action" on efforts to rebuild the bombed-out territory.
The meeting -- which included Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa -- was also to evaluate reforms by the Palestinian Authority in light of further aid.
The EU is the biggest international donor to the Palestinians.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October after two years of Israel's war on the Palestinian territory. The second phase of the agreement, intended to transfer control from Hamas to a technocratic government and launch reconstruction of the war-ravaged territory, has stalled for months.
Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire by expanding its occupation, maintaining its blockade of Gaza and refusing to withdraw from areas it had agreed to leave, while continued restrictions have further undermined progress toward implementing the second phase.
Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,098 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, according to the territory's health ministry.
Overall, Israel's war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has killed at least 73,110 Palestinians and wounded more than 173,599 others, according to Gaza's health ministry. Many of the casualties are women and children.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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