Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt – October 13, 2025 – In a landmark gathering amid the sun-drenched shores of the Red Sea, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday urged renewed international unity to advance the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, hailing the "tireless diplomatic efforts" of key mediators including the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye. The summit, co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump, marks a pivotal moment in efforts to end a devastating two-year conflict that has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives and displaced nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip.
Starmer's remarks, delivered ahead of high-level talks at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Hotel overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba, underscored the urgency of collective action. "I reiterate my thanks for the tireless diplomatic efforts of the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye," he stated in a formal address, his voice steady against the backdrop of palm-fringed conference halls buzzing with delegates from more than 20 nations. "It is now crucial to work together to implement President Trump's plan for Gaza, and that will be my focus here in Egypt today."
The British leader emphasized the need for unwavering commitment from all parties, warning that only through sustained collaboration could the region transition from "tragic devastation to enduring stability." He described the ongoing discussions as "the first, crucial phase in ending the war in the Middle East," adding, "Commitment to this plan from all parties will be essential to ending the war and building the foundations for a sustainable path to a long-term peace." Starmer pledged the United Kingdom's full backing for the "crucial next stage of talks," including the deployment of international monitors and the establishment of transitional governance structures in Gaza. "The UK will support the crucial next stage of talks to ensure the implementation of the peace plan," he affirmed. "Now we must deliver lasting peace and a secure future for the whole region."
In a gesture of goodwill, Starmer also announced fresh commitments to humanitarian relief. "The UK is providing additional humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, and we will lead efforts to accelerate its reconstruction," he said, detailing an initial package of £50 million for emergency medical supplies, water purification systems, and temporary shelters. This aid infusion comes as the first trucks laden with supplies crossed into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing on Saturday, following the ceasefire's activation on Friday – a development that has brought cautious relief to aid workers long hampered by blockades.
The Sharm el-Sheikh summit, attended by an array of global heavyweights including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and even Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, represents a rare convergence of Western, Arab, and Muslim-majority leaders. Egyptian officials described the event as a "beacon of hope," aimed at "ending the war in the Gaza Strip, enhancing efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and ushering in a new phase of regional security and stability." The agenda includes formalizing Phase Two of Trump's 20-point peace framework, which envisions a multinational stabilization force, Hamas's disarmament, and the handover of Gaza's administration to Palestinian technocrats under international oversight.
At the heart of these deliberations is President Trump's ambitious proposal, unveiled on September 29, 2025, during a White House press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The plan, forged through months of backchannel negotiations involving U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, builds on earlier, failed truces from late 2023 and January 2025. It was presented as a "comprehensive blueprint" for de-escalation, with Trump issuing a stark ultimatum to Hamas: accept by October 5 or face "all hell." To the surprise of many skeptics, Hamas acquiesced, leading to the first phase's rollout – a six-week halt in hostilities, the release of 48 Israeli hostages (including 20 believed alive), and Israel's reciprocal freeing of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The ceasefire's initial implementation has been halting but promising. On Friday, October 10, Israeli forces began a phased withdrawal from northern Gaza, pulling back to pre-March 2025 lines amid reports of sporadic gunfire. By Sunday, Hamas had transferred the first batch of 20 living hostages to Qatari mediators in Doha, where they underwent medical checks before boarding flights to Tel Aviv. Israeli officials, including Netanyahu's spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian, confirmed the exchanges would continue through the week, though tensions flared over delays in recovering the remains of 28 deceased captives buried under rubble. "This is an historic achievement," Netanyahu declared in a televised address, crediting Trump's "unwavering pressure" for breaking the deadlock.
Yet, the human cost of the preceding conflict looms large over the summit's proceedings, casting a somber shadow on the diplomatic pomp. Since Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel – which killed 1,195 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 taken hostage – Israel's retaliatory campaign has ravaged the 365-square-kilometer enclave. Palestinian health authorities report over 67,800 deaths as of early October 2025, with women and children comprising the majority – at least 30% under 18 and 16% female, according to Gaza's Health Ministry figures corroborated by the United Nations. These tolls, drawn from hospital records and civil defense reports, exclude thousands presumed buried under collapsed buildings or lost to famine and disease. A peer-reviewed study in The Lancet, published in January 2025, estimated indirect deaths could push the total beyond 100,000, factoring in malnutrition, untreated injuries, and collapsed sanitation systems.
Gaza, once home to 2.3 million people, now lies in ruins: 80% of structures damaged or destroyed, including 735 healthcare facilities targeted by Israeli strikes, per World Health Organization data. Over 170,000 Palestinians have been injured, with Gaza recording the world's highest per-capita rate of child amputations. Israeli military sources claim nearly 20,000 Hamas fighters killed, but leaked intelligence documents analyzed by The Guardian in August 2025 revealed an 83% civilian death rate among verified casualties – a figure that has fueled accusations of disproportionate force and, from human rights groups like Amnesty International, potential war crimes. On the Israeli side, 466 soldiers have perished in combat, alongside 1,517 civilians from the initial assault and subsequent rocket fire.
The war's origins trace a tortuous path through decades of unresolved grievances. Hamas's 2023 incursion shattered a fragile status quo, prompting Israel's "Swords of Iron" operation – a ground invasion launched October 27, 2023, that quickly encircled Gaza City. Brief ceasefires in November 2023 and January 2025 faltered amid disputes over aid corridors and hostage releases, culminating in Israel's March 18, 2025, surprise offensive that reignited full-scale fighting. Trump's intervention, building on his first-term Abraham Accords, reframed the crisis as a "deal-making opportunity," enlisting Arab states wary of regional spillover. Mediators from Qatar and Türkiye, leveraging longstanding ties to Hamas, played instrumental roles in bridging gaps, while Egypt's control of the Rafah crossing ensured logistical viability.
As leaders like Starmer and Trump shake hands in photo ops – a moment captured widely on social media, with British outlets dubbing it "Keir kisses the ring" – optimism tempers with realism. Hamas has hailed the truce as a "victory for resistance," but insists on ironclad guarantees against reoccupation. Israeli hardliners, including far-right coalition partners, decry any concessions without full demilitarization. Phase Two, slated for negotiation by November, demands Hamas's dissolution of armed wings, a UN-led reconstruction fund estimated at $50 billion, and steps toward Palestinian statehood – elements that could unravel if domestic politics intervene. Trump's vision includes transforming Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East," a redevelopment pledge that drew early criticism for echoing displacement fears but has since been softened to emphasize local empowerment.
Beyond the conference rooms, the summit's ripple effects are already evident. Aid convoys, unhindered for the first time in months, have delivered 1,000 tons of flour, medicine, and fuel since Friday, per UNRWA reports. In Khan Younis, displaced families emerged from makeshift tents to cheers, while in Tel Aviv, relatives of freed hostages lit candles in vigil. Yet, challenges persist: northern Gaza's famine, declared by the UN in September 2025, risks resurgence without sustained access, and Hezbollah's border skirmishes with Israel underscore the need for broader de-escalation.
Starmer's presence here, his first major foreign trip since July's Labour landslide, signals Britain's intent to reclaim a peacemaking mantle post-Brexit. Critics at home, including Conservative voices like Kemi Badenoch, have questioned the timing amid domestic woes like NHS backlogs and energy costs. "It's extraordinary that Keir Starmer is apparently going to Egypt tomorrow when we've got plenty of domestic issues," Badenoch quipped on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. But allies, such as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, defend the move: "We know we need a viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel. That's what we'll continue to make happen."
As the sun sets over Sharm el-Sheikh, Trump took the podium to thunderous applause, flanked by al-Sisi. "This is potentially one of the great days ever in civilization," he boomed, echoing his September unveiling. "We're beyond very close – we're there." Whether this proves prophetic or illusory hinges on the days ahead. For now, in a region scarred by loss, the mere act of gathering offers a fragile thread of hope – one that Starmer and his counterparts are determined to weave into something lasting.
