Starmer to attend Egypt summit on Gaza peace plan, No 10 says
According to Downing Street, the prime minister will attend an international peace summit in Egypt on Monday, where the peace plan for Gaza will be signed. Sir Keir Starmer would pay particular respect
in Sharm El-Sheikh to US President Donald Trump, No. 10. On Friday morning, a ceasefire in Gaza came into effect after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a peace deal and a hostage return contract brokered by Trump, with the next phases yet to be negotiated. According to a spokesman for al-Sisi, the US president will lead the summit alongside Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-sisi with leaders from more than 20 countries in attendance.
Hamas has until 12:00 (09:00 GMT) on Monday to release all Israeli hostages, including 20 who are believed to be alive, and the remains of up to 28 deceased hostages. Around 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 prisoners from Gaza should be released, as well as increased amounts of relief, as Gaza's larger amounts of aid should reach the Strip. Many of the details for the later phases, which will be negotiated following the completion of phase one, could be difficult to reach a compromise, such as Gaza's administration, the extent of Israeli troop withdrawal, and Hamas' disarming.
The summit, according to Downing Street, will include a signing ceremony
for the peace plan,
bringing us to this pointmarking a turning point for the region after two years of conflict and bloodshed. Sir Keir will thank Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for
swift progress towards phase twoas well as Trump, before calling for continued cooperation to ensure
of the truce.In a statement, No 10 added,
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the Elysee Palace on Saturday, where he wouldHe will continue to work with the UK and international partners as we continue to find the ceasefire, obtain urgently needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and guarantee a stable base for lasting peace and stability.
end the war in Gaza, increase peace and stability efforts in the Middle East, and launch a new page on regional security and stability,express his complete support for the signing of the deal. Egypt's presidency's spokesperson said it was intended to
We have a lot of leaders from around the world coming together, and they've been invited,confirming the summit late Saturday. On Friday, Trump told reporters at the White House that he would be heading to the area on Monday, addressing Israel's parliament, the Knesset, before heading to Egypt.
he said.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also discUSsed the arrangements for the summit with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, according to Egypt's foreign ministry. Following three days of indirect talks in Egypt, the ceasefire came into place. The Israeli government approved the first phase of Trump's ceasefire and hostage agreement on Thursday. The Israeli military claimed to have partially pulled troops from Gaza and pulled back to an agreed position within the territory, although troops continue to occupy half of the strip. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the haltfire on Sunday, on BBC One's Laura Kuenssberg program, was
We certainly have a part, but of course the US has been instrumental in this. The prime minister's visit to Egypt for the Sharm El-Sheikh summit would be aa huge step forward. When asked whether the UK had a hand in the peace initiative, she replied:
photo opportunity,according to shadow foreign minister Dame Priti Patel, and the government has
played no part whatsoeverin the Gaza ceasefire.
she told Kuenssberg.I think it's strange that Keir Starmer is reportedly going to Egypt tomorrow when we have a slew of domestic problems that he should be handling,
The United Kingdom has already stated that it has no plans
to deploy British troops to be part of a multinational force that will monitor Israel's latest ceasefire. Officials have announced that the US is moving up to 200 troops in the area to what it describes as a civil-military coordination center in Israel, as well as forces from Arab and MUSlim countries, including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. On Friday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said that the UK will continue to support the peace process in other ways, including looking at private financing into Gaza.
The Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and leaving 251 dead, causing Israel's war on Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, including more than 18,000 children. After two months when Israel revived its military offensive, a previous ceasefire deal that began in January collapsed, having never advanced beyond the first stage of a three-stage agreement.
