UK steps forward to host high-level international summit on Gaza recovery plan

The United Kingdom has launched a major dual diplomatic effort to secure a lasting peace and spearhead reconstruction in Gaza, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer travels to Egypt for a critical multi-nation truce summit.

The Prime Minister is joining an estimated 20 world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to finalise an agreement aimed at ending two years of devastating conflict.

Ahead of the summit, Starmer stressed the need to “seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace,” urging world powers to move swiftly from the current ceasefire to the “second phase, in full."

In parallel with the truce efforts, Downing Street announced the UK will host its own three-day international conference on Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction.

Organised by the Foreign Office’s Wilton Park agency in West Sussex, the event will convene a wide array of global partners, including the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Germany, Italy, and major financial institutions like the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

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The central focus of the discussions will be to support the Palestinian Authority’s own reform programme to ensure it can effectively lead Gaza’s rebuilding. A statement from Downing Street noted that while the process will be Palestinian-led, there is “absolutely no role for Hamas.”

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UK puts money where the crisis is

To support immediate needs, the UK government is redirecting $\text{£20 million (around \$27 million)}$ of previously committed aid to focus on vital water, sanitation, and hygiene services in the war-ravaged territory. The funding will be distributed through established partners: Unicef, the World Food Programme, and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted the scale of the damage, noting that Gaza has been “completely devastated.”

She said the ceasefire offers a crucial chance to “urgently scale up humanitarian efforts” and commit to the future. “Rubble must be cleared, infrastructure repaired, healthcare restored and homes rebuilt,” Cooper stated.

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The UK’s involvement in the diplomatic process has sparked debate at home.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson affirmed the government’s position, stating that the UK is committed to a “viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel." She acknowledged that the US role was “critical” in brokering the current ceasefire.

However, Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel offered a contrasting view, saying that Britain “has had no role whatsoever” in securing the truce. She also questioned the Prime Minister’s timing, calling his trip “extraordinary” given what she described as pressing domestic issues.