Jerusalem, 15 November, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The European Parliament (EP) is seeking a greater role in shaping the Middle East’s postwar reconstruction, using funding and diplomacy to strengthen its influence in the region. However, a draft recommendation prepared by the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and obtained by The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL) raises questions about whether Europe’s reconstruction vision adequately addresses the security threats and terrorist infrastructure that have fueled the region’s conflicts over the past three years.
The six-page proposal outlines plans for Gaza, Lebanon and Syria but gives limited attention to the security failures, Iranian influence and terrorist infrastructure that must be addressed to ensure lasting stability.
The six-page draft — authored by Portuguese Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sebastião Bugalho of the Christian Democrats, European People’s Party — was discussed by the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
The proposal, dated Oct. 19, warns that the European Union risks being excluded from major diplomatic and reconstruction decisions, pointing to its leadership of the Palestine Donor Group and the European Commission’s Team Gaza Initiative, launched with an initial recovery package in July 2026. However, the draft does not mention the Board of Peace or the Gaza Stabilization Force.
Bugalho advocates moving beyond traditional humanitarian assistance toward long-term investment, trade, infrastructure development and economic integration, describing reconstruction efforts in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria as “closely interconnected.”
A European Parliament staffer who spoke to TPS-IL on condition of anonymity because she isn’t authorized to discuss the document criticized the proposal for failing to distinguish between Gaza’s civilian infrastructure and facilities used by terrorist organizations.
“It is quite detached from reality on the ground as the draft report makes no differentiation between civilian and terrorist infrastructure, and even indirectly states that they should all be rebuilt,” the European Parliament staffer told TPS-IL.
Those concerns have also been raised publicly by other members of the European Parliament. On July 9, speaking in the European Parliament, German MEP Hildegard Bentele insisted that Gaza’s reconstruction must ensure that Hamas can never again use schools and hospitals as bases for terror, store weapons, or divert international aid for extremist purposes. She also called for finding ways to prevent Hamas from diverting international aid deliveries.
On Gaza’s future governance, the draft calls for the permanent disarmament of Hamas and other non-state armed groups. It also identifies the Palestinian Authority’s return to Gaza’s governance as a central criterion for evaluating reconstruction arrangements. The proposal advocates strengthening the PA, promoting Palestinian-led governance and preserving territorial contiguity between Judea and Samaria.
“The question is whether the European Parliament is prepared to make Israel’s security a prerequisite for its vision of Middle East reconstruction, or whether it will continue pursuing a political approach that has pushed peace further away rather than brought it closer,” the staffer said.
