Amman, July 13 (Petra) -- The European Commission announced Monday the launch of an initiative with 15 partners to provide €883.6 million ($1 billion) in aid to the Gaza Strip.

The "Team Gaza" initiative unveiled during a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for Palestine (AHLC) in Brussels will support ongoing and planned early-recovery projects for Gaza's residents, the commission said.

Twelve European countries and Japan have joined the initiative, along with the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, the commission said.

//Petra// NQ