The UK, Australia and Canada jointly announced a new International Peace Fund to support grassroots peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians. Each country contributed £1 million to launch the fund, which aims to address root causes of the conflict and bolster a two-state solution, according to an official British government press release.
The fund was announced overnight by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper alongside her Australian and Canadian counterparts, Penny Wong and Anita Anand, during talks at Chevening. According to the official press release, the fund will prioritize long-term peacebuilding between Israeli and Palestinian communities—focusing on local grassroots projects, youth groups, civil society organizations and women's initiatives—to rebuild trust and create conditions for a sustainable two-state solution.
The initiative complements existing diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, including recent sanctions on violent settlers in the West Bank announced Tuesday by the same three countries, as The Zioneer previously reported. The UK said the fund draws on experience from similar peacebuilding efforts in Northern Ireland and the Western Balkans.
The three ministers also reiterated their commitment to ensure Hamas is disarmed, disempowered and dismantled as part of the 20-point Gaza peace plan, and reaffirmed pledges to tackle global antisemitism. Each country contributed £1 million; the fund is expected to seek additional donors once operational.
2 developments
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- StrongCanada pledges $100 million in further aid for Palestinians, days after UNRWA staff firings
- DevelopingTony Blair takes on expanded role in US-led Gaza peace board
- StrongIsrael, US, Greece, Cyprus launch Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center in Houston
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