Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he shares the relief felt by families of Israeli hostages released by Hamas. He is in Sharm el-Sheikh to meet the US president and regional negotiators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey as they sign off the Gaza peace plan. All 20 remaining live Israeli hostages were freed by Hamas on Monday morning as part of the first phase of the agreement, with Israel to release Palestinian prisoners in return.

He said he understands the suffering of the families, and thanked the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for their diplomatic efforts. He added that it is crucial to implement President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, and that this will be his focus in Egypt. He said commitment from all sides to the plan is essential to end the war and lay foundations for long-term peace, and that the UK will support the next stage of talks to ensure its implementation.

At Sharm el-Sheikh, the summit is co-hosted by the United States and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The British government has faced questions after Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson claimed Britain played a key role in securing the ceasefire. US envoy Steve Witkoff praised National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell for helping coordinate the effort, while others questioned the remarks. Powell is also facing scrutiny over links to a Chinese espionage case. In Cairo, Starmer said he intends to draw on Northern Ireland’s peace process to move towards decommissioning Hamas as talks proceed. Meanwhile, Mr Trump travelled to Israel to meet hostage families and said the conflict is over; he also expressed interest in visiting Gaza. Starmer is expected to announce a £20 million humanitarian aid package for Gaza, and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the ceasefire offers an opportunity to scale up aid. The plan envisions an open-ended Israeli presence along Gaza’s border and an international security force; Britain has said it will not send troops. Former prime minister Tony Blair met Palestinian Authority officials amid reports he could join a governance board, subject to approval.