Starmer speaks of ‘profound relief’ as Gaza ceasefire deal signed | World | News
Sir Keir Starmer has spoken of his “deep relief” after Hamas and Israel agreed on the first phase of the Gaza peace plan. The warring neighbors have marked the first stage of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point bid in a major breakthrough that has sparked jubilant celebrations around the world.
The Prime Minister said: “I welcome the news that agreement has been reached on the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. This is a moment of deep relief that will be felt around the world, but especially for the hostages, their families and the civilian population of Gaza who have endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years.”
The Prime Minister praised the “tireless diplomatic efforts” of the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye in moving the parties towards peace.
He added: “This agreement must now be fully implemented without delay, accompanied by the immediate removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
“We call on all parties to deliver on their commitments to end the war, creating the foundations for a just and lasting end to the conflict and a sustainable path to long-term peace. The UK will support these vital immediate steps and the next phase of negotiations to ensure the peace plan is fully implemented.”
The agreement stipulates the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gazans detained by Israeli forces since the start of the war.
According to the agreement, Israel will allow 400 aid trucks to enter Gaza per day, and this number will gradually increase in the following stages.
Later today, the Israeli government will vote on the ceasefire agreement. If he accepts, he will have 24 hours to withdraw his troops to the so-called “yellow line”. Then, 48 captives, 20 of whom are thought to be dead, will be released by Hamas.
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said that once the Israeli security cabinet approves the list of Palestinian detainees to be released, there will be a 72-hour countdown for Hamas to release living Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza.
This means they could be released on Sunday or possibly Monday. President Trump is likely to travel to the Middle East as the deal is finalized on a visit that will coincide with the release of the hostages.
He said: “We hope this will lead to a complete cessation of hostilities and the reconstruction of Gaza for the good of Gazans and Israel.
“But this is the first phase and we should see the first phase fully implemented in the next few days.”
President Trump said that once the first phase of the peace agreement is completed, “you will see people getting along and Gaza will be rebuilt.”
But he warned it would be “a different world” and “wealth wasted in Gaza”.
President Trump said: “We believe Gaza will be a much safer place and a rebuilding place. Other countries in the region will also help rebuild because they have tremendous amounts of wealth and they want to see this happen.”
“I believe that peace will be achieved in the Middle East”
The breakthrough, which followed talks in Egypt, came two years and two days after Israel launched a military offensive against Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attack in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 civilians and took 251 hostage.
Since then, at least 67,183 people, including 20,179 children, have been killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
