As the Israel–Gaza took effect and declared peace, Europe found itself sidelined.
While key European leaders attended the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt — where Trump’s 20-point was signed by mostly Arab and Muslim countries — they played a minimal role in the negotiations.
Experts said the bloc wants to play a bigger role in shaping the future of Gaza and resolving the conflict. But, with the exception of no other names have yet been announced as members of the so–called Board of Peace that will be led by Trump.
Will Europe get involved beyond offering aid?
The EU has voiced its intention to provide funds for Gaza’s reconstruction, which initial estimates suggest will cost more than $50 billion.
“We will be an active force within the Palestinian Donors Group,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, posted on X.
“And we will provide EU funding for the reconstruction of Gaza.”
President of the European Council Antonio Costa represented the bloc in Egypt. He took the opportunity to outline its willingness to move beyond aid, saying the EU stands “ready to contribute” to the next steps in Trump’s plan for a temporary transitional governance by a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee.
Europe is already to the Palestinian Authority (PA) which governs the West Bank, As well as assisting the reconstruction of Gaza, Costa also said that the EU would contribute to the security. Trump’s plan envisages an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to be set up in coordination between the US, Arab and other international partners to be deployed in Gaza.
Will Europe send forces to Gaza as part of an international push?
French President has said France is ready to contribute to the temporary International Stabilization Force that is expected to train and equip Palestinian security forces.
And yet many European nations will deliberate before committing to joining such a force.
Jean Loop Samaan, a senior research fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore and a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told DW that Europe will also have to consider “the role other nations in the Arab and Muslim world could play in terms of troops.”
But there are also domestic factors at play. “I assume it’ll be a very sensitive topic in Berlin,” he said. “Meanwhile France is stuck in a government crisis, making a decision like this difficult to secure for Macron.”
Meanwhile, the exact mandate of such an international stabilization force would need to be pinned down.
“If the mandate of a foreign mission was to enforce Hamas disarmament, against Hamas’ will, there will be no European contribution, full stop,” said Hugh Lovatt, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign relations (ECFR).
He added that Europeans could contribute troops for monitoring purposes, in the same way they have been deployed on the Israel-Lebanon border.
Will Europeans make it onto Trump’s Board of Peace?
Reports suggest that Germany, France and the UK, known as the European Three (E3), would like a representative on the board.
But, so far, none have been invited. “There are many applicants,” US’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said at a press briefing in Egypt after Trump was asked whether Egyptian President will be included.
A senior former Israeli official who spoke to DW on the condition of anonymity said Israel will have reservations about accepting a French or British representative on the board. He said both countries unilaterally recognized Palestinian statehood, a move that was not well viewed by Israel.
, on the other hand, was seen as more supportive of Israel and would be acceptable, he said.
Samaan, research fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore, told DW that the Europeans will probably have to remove any threat of sanctions against Israel, if they want a seat at the table.
“I’m sure the Trump administration and the Israeli government would condition any European involvement on that.”
Will the EU’s relationship with Israel improve amid the ceasefire?
Avi Nir-Feldklein, Israel’s envoy to the EU, has signaled hopes for a reset in the EU-Israel relationship.
In an interview with Politico, Europe, he said it was time “to overcome this short, uncomfortable situation that we have between us right now and to resume the good relations that we had.”
The European Union had proposed suspending trade concessions to Israel, and sanctioning some of its ministers, to pressurize the country to send in more aid and to end the military campaign inside Gaza.
There could be a review of those proposals now that a ceasefire was in place, an EU spokesperson indicated, adding that the decision hasn’t yet been taken. “We are not there yet,” she said.
For his part, Lovatt predicted that any talk of sanctioning Israel at the EU level is over.
The ceasefire “disincentivizes any action outside the scope of the Trump plan,” he said, adding that Europe wouldn’t want to upset Trump, not least because it seeks his support to end the war in Ukraine.
Between the US and Europe, there remains one major divergence on the path to lasting peace in Gaza. The EU is one of the most vocal supporters of a two-state solution.
“Europeans were largely sidelined from the US initiative and the key principle of Palestinian statehood remains a much more distant goal in the Trump approach than in the European approach,” Samaan said.
Edited by: Jess Smee
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