Leading European nations have supported 53 billion dollar Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain welcomed the plan, which calls for Gaza to be rebuilt over five years, as realistic. 

In a statement, they said the proposal promised swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the people of Gaza. 

The plan calls for Gaza to be governed temporarily by a committee of independent experts and for international peacekeepers to be deployed to the territory. 

The committee would be responsible for overseeing humanitarian aid and temporarily managing Gaza's affairs under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority.