Starmer to hail signing of Trump’s Gaza deal as ‘crucial phase’ to ending war

Sir Keir Starmer will commit the UK to playing a key role in rebuilding Gaza as he attends a summit to mark the ceasefire and Israeli hostage return agreement brokered by Donald Trump.

The Prime Minister will be at the “signing ceremony” and hail the moment as the “first, crucial phase” of ending the war in Gaza, while urging the second phase be delivered “in full”.

The summit, co-hosted by the US leader and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, comes as part of efforts to secure the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has been holding since it took effect on Friday.

Sir Keir is expected to heap praise on Donald Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey at the ceremony in Sharm El Sheikh on Monday.

Sir Keir will also say: “We stand determined to seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace and a stable, secure future for the whole region.

“Today is the first, crucial phase of ending this war and now we must deliver the second phase, in full.

“The UK will support the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan, so that people on both sides can rebuild their lives in safety and security.”

National security adviser Jonathan Powell has been speaking to Mr Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff almost daily, it is understood.

Sir Keir, meanwhile, is understood to be eager to keep up the momentum as talks move into the next phase and will seek to draw on the Northern Ireland peace process amid moves towards “decommissioning” Hamas.

The UK and countries including France, Australia and Canada last month confirmed recognition of Palestinian statehood – without Hamas leadership – in a historic if largely symbolic move they said was intended to safeguard the prospect of a two-state solution.

Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson on Sunday said the UK played a “key role” in securing the Gaza ceasefire, prompting a backlash from Israeli and US figures.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, rejected the characterisation while US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said Ms Phillipson was “delusional”.

A No 10 source pointed back to Sir Keir’s earlier praise of Mr Trump for his leadership in negotiations.

Sir Keir will also announce £20 million in humanitarian aid for water, sanitation and hygiene services in Gaza.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said that the aid package, to be delivered through Unicef, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), would go towards immediate humanitarian needs in Gaza.

Long-term recovery must be Palestinian-led but will require public and private investment, she said.

It comes as the UK hosts a three-day conference on Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction, hosting delegates from Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.

The Foreign Secretary said: “The UK has worked intensively with international partners in recent months to create the momentum that has led to President Trump’s peace initiative, and to support the ceasefire that is now in place, but we now need to work with the same intensity and urgency to develop a plan for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction.

“Gaza has been completely devastated. The ceasefire gives us the opportunity not just to urgently scale up humanitarian efforts but also to look to the future of Gaza’s recovery. Rubble must be cleared, infrastructure repaired, healthcare restored and homes rebuilt.”

Under the first phase of the agreement brokered by the US President, the remaining hostages held by Hamas are due to be returned to their families and Palestinian prisoners are to be released by Monday morning.

The wider 20-point plan calls for Israel to maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza along its border with Israel.

An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside the enclave.

The Israeli military has said it will continue to operate defensively from the roughly 50% of Gaza it still controls after pulling back to the agreed-upon lines.

There are no plans to send British troops to be part of the multinational force that will monitor the truce.

Meanwhile, former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair was poised to be involved in a “Board of Peace” supervising governance in Gaza under proposals from Washington.