British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Parliament on Tuesday that the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine now has its “first real chance” of being implemented since the Oslo Accords of the 1990s.
Addressing members of the House of Commons, Starmer said the UK will play an active role in the peace process by offering expertise in “three areas: supporting the reconstruction in Gaza, supporting transitional arrangements, and ensuring security for a ceasefire monitoring process.”
“This is the first real chance we’ve had on a two-state solution since the Oslo Accords over three decades ago,” Starmer said.
“So we are fully committed to this because a safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable Palestinian state, is the only way to secure lasting peace for the Middle East.”
Starmer credits Trump for ceasefire
Starmer said the recent halt in Gaza’s bombardment and the flow of humanitarian aid were the result of the peace initiative led by US President Donald Trump.
“The bombardment of Gaza has stopped, and desperately needed aid is starting to enter as a result of the peace plan led by President Trump. We have the chance, and it is a chance to bring a terrible chapter in history,” he said.
He added that the UK’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood also contributed to securing the ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Speaking after a summit in Egypt, Starmer emphasised that “this is his deal,” referring to Trump.
Conservative criticism and Starmer’s response
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the government’s actions, arguing they have “strained” relations with Israel.
She condemned the decision to restore funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Her remarks prompted shouts of “shame” from Labour MPs.
Responding to Badenoch, Starmer said,
“I was surprised and saddened that she spent more time attacking what we actually did to help the process than even mentioning the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, without setting out in terms the number of people have been killed, the starving been subjected to denial of aid when the immediate task for any serious government is to work with allies to get it at speed, I would have expected at least an acknowledgement of that terrible situation.”
He added that once media access is permitted in Gaza, there will be “quite some debate” in the Commons over the “full horror” of what has occurred there.
Focus on aid and the West Bank
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey asked for more details on how the UK is supporting aid flows into Gaza.
In response, Starmer said that more trucks need to be allowed into the region to deliver relief supplies.
He also said the UK has urged Israel to halt illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
Earlier on Monday, the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails began after Hamas freed all 20 living Israeli captives held in Gaza.
The second phase of the US-brokered deal calls for the creation of a new governing mechanism in Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.
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