Austria Contributes to Millions in Aid for Gaza and Calls for Tougher EU Sanctions
In light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, international donor countries launched an initial major reconstruction package at a conference in Brussels. A total of approximately 884 million euros was pledged for the so-called “early reconstruction phase.” Austria is part of this large-scale initiative called “Team Gaza,” which was presented on Monday by EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica.
Austrian Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger is urging the EU to take decisive action to ensure security in Europe and the Middle East. / Picture: © BMEIA Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres / Michael Gruber / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0 DEED)
The “Team Gaza” initiative is intended to coordinate aid from EU member states and their international partners, such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Japan, and Switzerland. Australia and Canada have also already signaled their interest in participating, as reported by "DerStandard". The first financial package is to be directed primarily toward critical infrastructure, with a focus on water supply and waste management.
More than 60 delegations participated in what is now the second EU donor conference, including representatives from the United States and the “Peace Council” initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump. For the first time, Ali Shaath, chairman of the interim administration in Gaza, was present alongside Mohammed Mustafa, prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
EU Commissioner Šuica emphasized that a functioning PA is “indispensable” for sustainable peace. She called on Israel to lift financial blockades and improve humanitarian access. At the same time, EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas made it clear that European aid—which has totaled nearly 30 billion euros since 1994—is strictly tied to reforms within the Palestinian Authority.
“Doctors Without Borders” Warns: Emergency Aid Takes Priority
Despite the positive signs for long-term reconstruction, aid organizations are urging swift action in the here and now. Marcus Bachmann, humanitarian advisor for Doctors Without Borders Austria, warns against losing sight of the acute emergency: “Gaza still lacks medicines and medical supplies, food, and clean drinking water. As long as people in Gaza are dying from preventable diseases [...] providing for their needs must take priority.”
Meinl-Reisinger Calls for Pressure in the Middle East and a New Mission to Lebanon
The tense situation in the Middle East was also a central topic at Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels. Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger emphasized the need to consistently pursue the peace plan for Gaza. She also advocated examining further EU sanctions to curb illegal Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank.
The foreign minister is also concerned about the situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border. Meinl-Reisinger called for the swift implementation of the peace plan between Israel and Lebanon and urged a follow-up solution for the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, whose mandate is set to expire soon: “Austria has long been committed to this effort with a large contingent. [...] I am convinced that together, within the EU, we can build the necessary pressure to achieve this.”