ISTANBUL

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday voiced the EU's full support for the Gaza ceasefire plan "brokered by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye."

"Europe fully supports the peace plan brokered by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye. The finalisation of the agreement ending the war today in Sharm el-Sheikh will be a historical milestone," von der Leyen said through the US social media company X.

She stressed that they "stand ready to contribute" to the plan's success with all tools at their disposal, in particular, "by providing support on governance and for the reform of the Palestinian Authority."

"We will be an active force within the Palestinian Donors Group. And we will provide EU funding for the reconstruction of Gaza," von der Leyen added.

US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas had agreed to the first phase of his 20-point plan aimed at implementing a ceasefire in Gaza. The plan includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. The first phase took effect on Friday.

Phase two of the plan envisions the creation of a new governing body in Gaza, excluding Hamas, the deployment of a multinational force and the disarmament of Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,800 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, leaving the enclave largely uninhabitable.