Keir Starmer considers joining Donald Trump’s Gaza peace board

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is considering whether to join US President Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Board.

The new body is part of the White House’s 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas.

It is expected to temporarily oversee the administration of Gaza, manage its reconstruction, and be staffed by world leaders.

British diplomats want greater clarity from the US State Department about the role of the board and its members.

Government sources told the BBC that “no formal invitation has been received and no decision has been made”.

Reports in the US press claim that Trump will announce the members of the board of directors this week.

Former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair is expected to join a separate board along with Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

In September, US said Sir Tony would be peace council memberThe former Labor prime minister said the American plans were the “best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering”.

But the exact details of his involvement remained unclear following reports that some Middle Eastern states opposed giving Sir Tony a role in the deployment of British forces as part of the US-led military campaign in Iraq.

Speaking to reporters on the Air Force One plane on Sunday, Trump said that the Gaza peace board was in the process of being established.

He said: “Essentially, these are the most important leaders of the most important nations. You take the most important leaders and nations, those will be the Peace Board.”

Stating that there is strong international interest in participating in the initiative, Trump said, “Everyone wants to take part in this initiative.”

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was asked whether Sir Keir would join Trump’s peace committee in the House of Commons on Tuesday, but did not answer the question directly.

“We supported the 20-point plan to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza,” Cooper said.

“This is still a sensitive issue and there is still much work to be done, including humanitarian aid and support and stopping the weapons in the hands of Hamas.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s really important that the whole international community comes together to support this.”

Sir Keir has developed a good relationship with Trump despite differences over Britain’s decision to recognize the Palestinian state last year.

The Prime Minister has been criticized for frequent trips abroad, but speaking to Labor MPs on Monday he defended his focus on foreign affairs and tried to link this to his domestic policy agenda.

“The cost of living of the crisis will not be solved by isolation,” Starmer said.

“What is very clear is that we are moving into a world that is very different from the one most of us grew up in, and you have to be on the ground in such a volatile world.

“You have to be in the room to solve the problems that working people care about.”