BRUSSELS — In a rare display of transatlantic unity, the leaders of France, Germany, and Britain—the so-called E3—issued a joint statement on Friday urging the United Nations Security Council to endorse a groundbreaking ceasefire plan for Gaza, crediting U.S. President Donald Trump’s bold diplomacy with potentially ending two years of devastating conflict. The appeal comes at a pivotal moment, as the first phase of the deal appears set to take effect, promising the release of hostages and a surge in humanitarian aid. Yet, the statement also addressed escalating tensions with Iran and Russia’s winter offensive in Ukraine, signaling a multifaceted European strategy to counter global threats.
The E3 declaration, released during a high-level summit in Brussels, hailed the emerging agreement as a “beacon of hope” for the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the plan’s potential to halt the bloodshed that has claimed over 67,000 lives in Gaza since October 2023, according to United Nations estimates. “We welcome the agreement on a ceasefire in the Middle East, the planned release of hostages, and the resumption of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza,” the leaders wrote, paying explicit tribute to Trump’s “decisive leadership” in brokering the deal.
This endorsement marks a significant shift for the E3, which has at times clashed with Trump’s unilateral style during his first term. The statement also acknowledged the “invaluable diplomatic efforts” of mediators Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, alongside “vital support from the wider region,” including Arab states that have quietly backed the framework despite initial reservations. “It is now of utmost importance that all parties implement their obligations in full and without delay,” the leaders stressed. “We stand ready to support further talks on the next stages of the plan and to contribute to it.”
Central to their call was a push for UN Security Council backing. “As part of this effort, we agree that the UN Security Council should give its full backing to the plan and support its implementation,” the statement added. The E3 pledged to channel “substantive humanitarian aid packages through UN agencies” once the ceasefire activates, potentially including emergency supplies of food, medical kits, and reconstruction materials to address Gaza’s crumbling infrastructure—water systems, hospitals, and bakeries ravaged by Israeli airstrikes and ground operations.
Trump unveiled the 20-point Gaza plan on September 29, 2025, during a White House press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The proposal, born from months of indirect talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, outlines a phased approach to de-escalation. Phase one, now greenlit by Israel’s Cabinet on October 9 and tentatively accepted by Hamas, mandates an immediate ceasefire upon confirmation, followed by the release of all 48 remaining Israeli and foreign hostages—20 believed alive—in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Israel must withdraw troops to a predefined line within 24 hours, ceding control of about 40 percent of Gaza initially, while allowing unrestricted humanitarian access via the Rafah crossing. Aid convoys, coordinated by the UN and Red Crescent, would mirror levels from the January 19, 2025, truce, including equipment for rubble clearance and infrastructure rehab.
Phase two envisions a post-Hamas governance overhaul: a technocratic Palestinian administration, excluding the militant group, bolstered by a multinational security force drawn from Arab and Islamic nations. Hamas disarmament is non-negotiable, with amnesty for compliant members and safe passage for others to third countries. Reconstruction—estimated at $53 billion by Arab planners—would be funded by Gulf states, with limited Palestinian Authority involvement, aiming to integrate Gaza into a future Palestinian state. Trump set an October 5 deadline for Hamas acceptance, warning of “all hell” otherwise, but the group’s exiled leader, Khalil al-Hayya, announced on October 8 that it would proceed “in good faith,” prioritizing hostage releases and civilian returns.
The plan’s reception has been cautiously optimistic. Arab and Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, and Egypt, issued a joint statement on September 30 welcoming Trump’s “sincere efforts,” pledging collaboration on security and rebuilding while rejecting any displacement of Palestinians—a red line after Trump’s earlier February 2025 remarks suggesting Gaza’s “takeover” as a resort haven. “This is not agreement with every detail, but a collective step to halt the bloodshed,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas echoed, stressing Gaza’s integration with the West Bank under Palestinian sovereignty. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed it as a “path to peace,” while Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty committed to facilitating returns without forced expulsions.
Critics, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, decried it as a “recipe to blow up the region,” arguing it sidelines Palestinian input and risks entrenching Israeli control over 60 percent of Gaza in phase one. Human rights groups warn of implementation hurdles, citing past truce breakdowns—like the January 2025 deal that collapsed in March amid mutual accusations. Yet, with Israeli forces already repositioning and displaced Gazans trekking north to ruined homes, the momentum feels tangible. On October 9, European and Arab foreign ministers convened in Paris to flesh out transition details, including a French-backed force to train 10,000 Palestinian security personnel.
Shifting gears, the E3 statement delivered a stern rebuke to Iran, reaffirming their August 28 activation of the JCPOA’s “snapback” mechanism, which reinstated UN sanctions on Tehran’s nuclear program effective September 27. Citing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium—now 48 times the 2015 limit, per IAEA reports—as a “serious threat to global peace and security,” the leaders backed the reimposition of resolutions from 2006-2010, freezing assets, curbing arms sales, and penalizing missile development. “We are determined to reinitiate negotiations with Iran and the United States towards a comprehensive, durable, and verifiable agreement that ensures Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon,” they declared, urging all UN members to comply.
The snapback, triggered after failed July talks for a JCPOA extension, expires October 18 unless resolved, drawing U.S. praise from Secretary of State Marco Rubio but ire from Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing, who labeled it “flawed” and proposed delaying it to April 2026. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian signaled nuclear transparency on September 26, but E3 diplomats remain skeptical, viewing it as a stalling tactic amid U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities in June. The move underscores Europe’s leverage in the nuclear standoff, potentially paving the way for a revived deal if Tehran returns to IAEA safeguards.
On Ukraine, the E3 condemned Russia’s “escalatory attacks” and “systematic targeting of critical national infrastructure” as winter looms, endangering civilian heat and power. With temperatures dropping, Moscow’s strikes on energy grids echo 2022-2023 tactics, displacing millions and straining NATO aid. The leaders vowed to “step up pressure on Moscow,” signaling readiness to harness immobilized Russian assets—worth over €200 billion in Europe—for Ukraine’s defense, “in close cooperation with the United States.”
This asset strategy, debated since the February 2022 invasion, could fund €50 billion in loans for Kyiv’s military, per EU estimates, pressuring Putin toward talks. “We will remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine, including through the Coalition of the Willing,” the E3 affirmed, referencing the ad-hoc alliance of 50 nations arming Kyiv. Recent Russian advances in Donetsk, claiming 1,000 Ukrainian lives weekly, heighten urgency, with Scholz pushing for faster Leopard tank deliveries and Starmer advocating drone swarms.
The Brussels statement weaves these crises into a cohesive narrative of European resolve: backing Trump’s Gaza gambit to stabilize the Middle East, enforcing nuclear red lines against Iran, and bolstering Ukraine against autocratic aggression. Analysts see it as a bid to reclaim diplomatic initiative post-Brexit and amid U.S. election flux. “The E3 is positioning itself as the bridge between American bravado and multilateral caution,” said Brookings Institution fellow Fiona Hill.
Yet challenges abound. In Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament hangs in the balance, with al-Hayya insisting on “no threat to neighbors” but retaining political influence. Arab funders like Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman demand two-state progress, tying reconstruction to West Bank settlements’ freeze—a Netanyahu red line. On Iran, snapback risks escalation if Tehran accelerates enrichment, potentially nearing breakout capacity in months, per IAEA data. Ukraine’s frontlines, frozen in mud, test asset-use legality, with G7 talks ongoing in Washington.
As the UN Security Council convenes next week, the E3’s plea for Gaza endorsement could galvanize action—or expose veto fractures from Russia and China. For now, in Brussels’ rain-slicked streets, diplomats clutch briefcases heavy with hope and contingency. Trump, posting on Truth Social, quipped: “Big win for peace—E3 gets it!” Whether this fragile web holds may define 2025’s geopolitical arc.
