Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Egypt on Monday to attend an international peace summit where a new Gaza peace plan is expected to be signed, Downing Street has confirmed.
According to No 10, Sir Keir will pay “particular tribute” to US President Donald Trump during the event in Sharm El-Sheikh.
A ceasefire in Gaza began on Friday morning, following a deal between Israel and Hamas that marked the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage return agreement brokered by President Trump. Negotiations for the next stages are still underway.
The summit, co-hosted by President Trump and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, will bring together leaders from more than 20 countries, according to a spokesperson for al-Sisi.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas has until 12:00 (09:00 GMT) on Monday to release all Israeli hostages — including 20 believed to be alive and the remains of up to 28 others. In return, Israel will release around 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, while increasing the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory.
Future phases of the deal — including questions around Gaza’s governance, Israeli troop withdrawals, and the disarmament of Hamas — are expected to pose significant challenges.
Downing Street described Monday’s event as a “signing ceremony” for the peace plan, calling it a “historic turning point for the region after two years of conflict and bloodshed.”
Sir Keir is expected to thank Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and President Trump for their efforts in reaching this point, while urging continued international cooperation to make “swift progress towards phase two” of the truce.
In its statement, No 10 added: “He will offer the UK’s steadfast support and engagement with international partners as we look to secure the ceasefire, get urgently needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and secure a basis for lasting peace and security.”
French President Emmanuel Macron will also attend the summit, the Élysée Palace confirmed on Saturday. He is expected to “express his full support for the implementation of the agreement.”
Egypt’s presidency said the meeting aims to “end the war in the Gaza Strip, strengthen peace and stability efforts in the Middle East, and open a new page in regional security and stability.”
President Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that he will travel to the region on Monday, first addressing Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, before heading to Egypt.
“We have a lot of leaders from all over the world coming too — they’ve been invited,” he said.
Egypt’s foreign ministry also confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed preparations for the summit with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
The ceasefire was approved by Israel’s government on Thursday, after three days of indirect talks in Egypt. The Israeli military said it has now pulled back from parts of Gaza and repositioned within the territory — though forces continue to occupy roughly half of the Strip.
The UK has said it has “no plans” to send troops to join the multinational force monitoring the ceasefire from Israel. However, US officials have confirmed that up to 200 American troops already stationed in the region will move to a new civil-military coordination centre in Israel, alongside personnel from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Friday that the UK will continue supporting the peace process through other means — including helping to attract private investment into Gaza.
The current conflict began after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 18,000 children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
A previous ceasefire, established in January, collapsed after two months when Israel resumed its offensive before the three-stage plan could progress beyond its first phase. Photo by [2], Wikimedia commons.