Starmer expresses ‘deep relief’ at release of all remaining Israeli hostages

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he shares the “deep feeling of relief” with the families of Israeli hostages released by Hamas.

Sir Keir also insisted it was now “crucial” to implement Donald Trump’s peace plan in the Middle East.

The Prime Minister is in Sharm El Sheikh to see the US president and fellow negotiators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey sign off the Gaza peace plan.

All 20 of the remaining live Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas throughout Monday morning, as part of the first phase of the peace deal.

In exchange, Israel has agreed to free Palestinian prisoners it has in captivity.

In a statement released after all hostages were freed, Sir Keir said: “I share the deep feeling of relief as Avinatan Or and other hostages are released today.

“But this is also a stark reminder of the treatment that he has been subject to at the hands of Hamas, and the atrocities that shook the world two years ago.

“Having met his family, I know that no one can truly understand the torture and agony they suffered for two drawn out years and my thoughts are with them. My thoughts are also with the family of Yossi Sharabi, who are still waiting for news.”

He added: “I reiterate my thanks for the tireless diplomatic efforts of the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. It is now crucial that we work together to implement President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, and that will be my focus in Egypt today.

“Commitment to this plan from all parties will be essential to ending the war and building the foundations for a sustainable path to a long-term peace. The UK will support the crucial next stage of talks to ensure the implementation of the peace plan.”

The Sharm El Sheikh 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 Friday.

Before the gathering, Sir Keir’s Government found itself in hot water over claims by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson that Britain played a “key role” in securing the Gaza ceasefire.

US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called her comments “delusional”, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, rejected her characterisation of the UK’s role.

But Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, heaped praise on the British national security adviser Jonathan Powell and said the UK had played a “vital role” in “assisting and co-ordinating efforts that have led us to this historic day in Israel”.

The national security adviser has been speaking to Mr Witkoff almost daily, it is understood.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch suggested she was not convinced by what the US official had to say.

Speaking during a visit to Grantham, Lincolnshire, Mrs Badenoch said: “I was not born yesterday. I think it is actually very sad that the Government is having to beg people to send tweets to say something nice about Jonathan Powell.”

Mr Powell is currently facing questions over whether his influence contributed to the collapse of a major Chinese espionage case.

During his time in Egypt, Sir Keir is understood to want to draw on the Northern Ireland peace process as talks move towards “decommissioning” Hamas in order to move towards a sustainable peace.

Before the Egyptian summit, Mr Trump travelled to Israel to meet with hostage families and address parliament there, and said before his departure that many in both Israel and Arab countries were “cheering” the agreement and that “everybody’s amazed and they’re thrilled and we’re going to have an amazing time”.

Speaking to reporters while in the air, Mr Trump deemed the conflict “over”, adding: “I think people are tired of it.”

He also said he hoped to one day visit Gaza, telling travelling reporters: “I’d like to put my feet on it, at least.”

Sir Keir is expected to announce a £20 million humanitarian aid package for Gaza as the UK is set to host a three-day conference on Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the ceasefire provides an opportunity to scale up humanitarian efforts and look to the future of Gaza’s recovery.

The 20-point plan set out by the US president 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 prime minister Sir Tony Blair, who was poised to potentially join a “Board of Peace” supervising governance of Gaza under the plans, met the deputy chief of the Palestinian Authority on Sunday.

Mr Trump suggested that Sir Tony’s involvement was still subject to approval.

As he travelled to the Middle East, the US president told reporters: “I like Tony, I have always liked Tony. But I want to find out that he is an acceptable choice to everybody.”