ISTANBUL

The EU convened the first meeting of the Palestine Donor Group on Thursday in Brussels, bringing together ministers and senior officials from around 60 countries and organizations to advance efforts to strengthen Palestinian governance and support recovery in the West Bank and Gaza.

The meeting was co-chaired by EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

It marks a key milestone in the EU’s €1.6 billion Multiannual Comprehensive Programme for Palestinian Recovery and Resilience, adopted in April, according to a statement.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the initiative reflects the EU’s long-standing role as the largest provider of external assistance to the Palestinian people and its commitment to a future Palestinian state based on a reformed, functioning Palestinian Authority.

“We are committed to working towards a Palestinian state….continue to support all efforts to stabilise the region,” she said on the US social media company X.

In the meeting, the Palestinian Authority presented updates on fiscal, economic, and governance reforms, as well as progress in education, health services, and private-sector development.

Participants also discussed the humanitarian and political situation in Gaza, following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 on Gaza earlier this week.

The EU said stabilization, transitional governance, and reconstruction efforts in both Gaza and the West Bank will continue to center on the PA’s reform program.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said strong PA institutions are essential for peace. “Reform of the Palestinian Authority is fundamental for it to govern a future Palestinian state,” she said, adding that the latest UN Security Council vote “offers a real chance to move beyond the fragile truce toward a stable future.”

On the margins of the meeting, the EU and several member states, Germany, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Spain, signed more than €82 million in new contributions to PEGASE, the EU-administered mechanism that channels donor support to the Palestinian Authority with strict oversight.

This brings the total pledged through PEGASE this year to more than €88 million, including earlier contributions from Finland, Ireland, Italy, and Spain.

Since its creation in 2008, PEGASE has channelled €3.7 billion to Palestinian institutions and services.

The commission said it will continue backing the PA’s reform agenda, as well as efforts to stabilize Gaza and the West Bank, including through cooperation with UN agencies such as UNRWA.