Barcelona: Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni announced Tuesday that Gaza and other Palestinian cities will symbolically become Barcelona's 11th district to enhance cooperation and solidarity.

According to Anadolu Agency, Collboni unveiled the plan during a visit to Jordan, stating that the new district would be a technical and budgetary entity within Barcelona's municipal structure. It will complement the city's 10 existing districts and coordinate all cooperation projects with Palestinian cities and UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Collboni emphasized that this initiative is not merely a one-off cooperation with visits, but a permanent structure, designed to utilize the talent of municipal technicians. He also suggested that a similar structure could be established in Palestinian territory or, if necessary, in Jordan.

This concept follows a precedent set in 1995 when Barcelona symbolically designated Sarajevo as its 11th district to support its recovery after the Srebrenica genocide. The initiative will begin with an initial budget of £1 million ($1.16 million) and is scheduled to commence at the end of the year. It aims for a medium- and long-term horizon, including reconstruction efforts.

Additionally, Collboni pledged to double UNRWA funding for food and medicine from £200,000 ($231,824) to £400,000 ($463,725). He stated that he would stabilize and scale up technical cooperation with cities like Gaza, Ramallah, and Bethlehem through municipal staff, council structures, and city resources.

Over the weekend, Collboni mentioned that he had planned to travel to Israel and Palestine, but Israeli authorities denied him entry. He expressed that the mission was intended for cooperation and peace, focusing on the mayors of Bethlehem and Ramallah. The objective was to understand the reality of Palestinian cities firsthand and explore ways of aid from Barcelona at these critical moments.