Fears Trump may lose focus after praise for Gaza peace deal at Egypt summit

Sir Keir Starmer volition connected Monday articulation satellite leaders astatine a historical acme successful Egypt to witnesser the signing of the Gaza bid program to extremity 2 years of conflict, bloodshed and suffering, that has outgo tens of thousands of lives and turned Gaza into a wasteland.

Travelling implicit to Egypt, flanked by his nationalist information advisor Jonathan Powell, the prime minister told maine it was a "massive moment" and 1 that is genuinely historic.

US President Donald Trump moved decisively past week to extremity this bloody war, pushing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas into a ceasefire arsenic portion of his 20-point bid plan.

In the flurry of the pursuing 48 hours, Mr Starmer and different 20 oregon truthful leaders were invited to Egypt to carnivore witnesser to the signing of this deal, with galore of them deserving immoderate recognition for the effort they made to bring this woody around, not slightest the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, who pressed Hamas to motion up to this deal.

On Monday, the remaining 20 surviving hostages are yet acceptable to beryllium released, on with the bodies of different 28 who were either killed oregon died successful captivity, and assistance is owed to travel backmost into a starving Gaza.

Some 1,200 Israelis were killed connected 7 October 2023, with different 250 taken hostage. In the consequent war, astir of Gaza's 2 cardinal colonisation has been displaced. More than 67,000 Gazans person been killed, according to Palestinian wellness officials

Then, the signing ceremonial is owed to instrumentality spot connected Monday day successful Sharm el-Sheikh. It volition beryllium a momentous infinitesimal aft a agelong and bloody war.

But it is lone conscionable the opening of a agelong process to rebuild Gaza and effort to unafraid a lasting bid successful the region.

The contiguous absorption for the UK and different nations volition beryllium to get assistance into Gaza with the UK committing £20m connected Monday for water, sanitation and hygiene services for Gazans.

But the bigger absorption for the UK and different European allies is what happens aft the hostages are released and Israel withdraws its troops.

Because what happens adjacent is simply a overmuch bigger and much analyzable task: rebuilding Gaza; turning it into a terrorist-free zone; governing Gaza - the existent program is for a impermanent apolitical committee; creating an planetary stabilisation unit and each the tensions that could bring astir - which troops each broadside would let in; a committedness for Israel not to inhabit oregon annex Gaza, adjacent arsenic Netanyahu makes plain his absorption to that plan.

The standard of the situation is matched by the standard of devastation caused by this brutal war.

The premier curate volition time acceptable retired his ambition for the UK to play a starring relation successful the adjacent signifier of the bid plan.

Back location the UK is hosting a three-day league connected Gaza's betterment and reconstruction.

Last week, France hosted European diplomats and cardinal figures from Middle Eastern countries, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar and aboriginal this week, the German chancellor is hoping to organise a league connected the reconstruction of Gaza with the Egyptians.

But successful reality, European leaders cognize the cardinal to signifier 2 remains the cardinal to signifier one: and that's Donald Trump.

As 1 UK fig enactment it to maine implicit the weekend: "There is tons of praise, rightly, for the US president, who got this implicit the line, but the large situation for america post-war is implementing the plan. Clearly, Arab partners are acrophobic the US volition suffer focus".

The premier curate knows this and has made a point, astatine each point, to praise Mr Trump.

His furniture curate Bridget Phillipson learned that diplomatic acquisition the hard mode connected Sunday erstwhile she was publically lambasted by the US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee for suggesting to my workfellow Trevor Phillips that the UK "had played a cardinal relation down the scenes" and failed to notation Mr Trump by name.

"I guarantee you she is delusional," tweeted Governor Huckabee. "She tin convey @realDonaldTrump anytime conscionable to acceptable the grounds straight".

On Monday, leaders volition rightly beryllium praising Mr Trump for securing the breakthrough to halt the warring and get the remaining hostages home.

But this is lone the opening of a precise agelong travel up to propulsion done the remainder of the 19-point program and halt the portion from falling backmost into conflict.

Britain has, I americium told, been playing a relation down the scenes. The PM's nationalist information advisor Mr Powell was successful Egypt past week and has been successful regular interaction with his US counterpart Steve Witkoff, according to authorities sources. Next week the King of Jordan volition travel to the UK.

Part of the UK's task volition beryllium to get much involved, with the authorities and European partners keen to get further European practice connected Trump's impermanent governance committee for Gaza, which Tony Blair (who was not recommended oregon endorsed by the UK) is connected and Mr Trump volition chair.

The committee volition see different heads of states and members, including qualified Palestinians and planetary experts.

As for the erstwhile premier minister's involvement, determination hasn't been an overt ringing endorsement from the UK government.

It's adjuvant to person Mr Blair astatine the array due to the fact that helium tin pass backmost to the existent government, but equally, arsenic 1 diplomatic root enactment it to me: "While a batch of radical successful the Middle East admit his experience, expertise and interaction book, they don't similar him and we request - sooner alternatively than aboriginal - different names included that Gulf partners tin get behind."

On Monday it volition beryllium the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that motion disconnected connected the bid program they straight negotiated, arsenic different Middle Eastern and European leaders, who person flown into Sharm el-Sheikh to carnivore witness, look on.

But successful the coming days and weeks, determination volition request to beryllium a large planetary effort, led by Mr Trump, not conscionable to unafraid the peace, but to support it.