As the Israel–Gaza ceasefire took effect and US President Donald Trump declared peace, Europe found itself sidelined. While key European leaders attended the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt — where Trump’s 20-point peace plan 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 former British Prime Minister Tony Blair no other names have yet been announced as members of the so–called Board of Peace that will be led by Trump. Trucks carrying aid bound for Gaza cross the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect, in Rafah, Egypt, October 12, 2025. Trucks carrying aid bound for Gaza cross the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect, in Rafah, Egypt, October 12, 2025. The EU is the biggest aid provider to the Palestinian Authority (PA)Image: Stringer/REUTERS 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 (€42 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 the biggest donor 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 Emmanuel Macron 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.