UK Pledges Leadership in Gaza Reconstruction at Historic Peace Summit

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - As a landmark peace summit convened in Egypt to solidify the end of two years of brutal conflict in Gaza, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Sunday pledged that the United Kingdom will play a "leading role" in the monumental task of rebuilding the devastated territory.

Attending the historic signing ceremony of the Gaza Peace Plan, the Prime Minister announced an immediate £20 million humanitarian aid package to address the urgent needs of the civilian population and outlined a broader vision for the UK's involvement in the next, crucial phase of the peace process: the long and arduous path of reconstruction. 

The commitment comes amid a pointed and somewhat awkward diplomatic spat over the UK's role in securing the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, with senior British ministers claiming a "vital role" behind the scenes, a claim that has been publicly dismissed as "delusional" by the U.S. ambassador to Israel and criticized by an Israeli official.

The summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, as reported by the UK government, marks a "historic turning point for the region," bringing together more than 20 world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, to witness the formal conclusion of a deal that has brought a desperately needed end to the bloodshed.

The primary focus of the summit is to move beyond the immediate ceasefire and hostage release, and to begin the crucial work of planning for a post-war Gaza.

In his address to the assembled leaders, Prime Minister Starmer is expected to commit the UK government to spearheading the international effort to accelerate Gaza's reconstruction.

"We stand determined to seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace, and a stable, secure future for the whole region," the Prime Minister is expected to say, according to a pre-released statement from his office. "Today is the first, crucial phase of ending this war and now we must deliver the second phase, in full. The UK will support the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan, so that people on both sides can rebuild their lives in safety and security.”

As an immediate down payment on this commitment, the Prime Minister announced a £20 million aid package designed to tackle the severe humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza, where the UN has warned of famine, widespread malnutrition, and the spread of disease.

The funding, which will be delivered through established international partners—UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)—will provide essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services to tens of thousands of civilians. This new funding is part of a broader £116 million aid commitment from the UK to the Palestinian people for the current year.

The UK's long-term vision for reconstruction will be further advanced back home, where a three-day conference on Gaza's recovery and reconstruction is set to be held at Wilton Park.

This summit, hosted by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, will bring together a powerful coalition of representatives from businesses, civil society, and governments to begin the crucial planning and coordination efforts for a post-war Gaza.

The conference will be attended by a wide range of international partners, including Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, as well as representatives from the Palestinian Authority. Crucially, it will also include major players from the private sector and international development finance institutions, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.

A central theme of the UK-led effort is that the reconstruction must be "Palestinian-led," with a clear and unequivocal condition: "absolutely no role for Hamas in its future governance." The discussions at Wilton Park will also cover efforts to support the Palestinian Authority's own program of transformation and reform, to ensure it has the capacity and legitimacy to lead Gaza's recovery.

The scale of the challenge is almost unimaginable. According to the UK government, more than two years of conflict have left an estimated 92% of homes in Gaza either damaged or completely destroyed. The Wilton Park summit will focus on how best to mobilize the vast private sector resources that will be required to address this level of devastation.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, in a statement released by the UK government, emphasized the urgency of this new phase. "Gaza has been completely devasted," she said. "The ceasefire gives us the opportunity not just to urgently scale up humanitarian efforts but also to look to the future of Gaza’s recovery. Rubble must be cleared, infrastructure repaired, healthcare restored and homes rebuilt."

She stressed that the UK would play a "crucial part in that process," not only by convening the various parties but also by "bringing in expertise, experience and investment from the City of London to support reconstruction.”

However, the UK's enthusiastic positioning of itself at the forefront of the peace and reconstruction effort has been met with some pointed and public pushback, particularly from its American and Israeli allies.

As reported by The Times of London, a minor diplomatic row erupted over claims by senior British ministers that the UK had played a "vital role" in securing the U.S.-led peace deal. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, speaking on Sky News, stated, "We have played a key role behind the scenes in shaping this.” Foreign Secretary Cooper, in her own statement, claimed the UK had "worked intensively with international partners in recent months to create the momentum that has led to President Trump’s peace initiative."

These claims were met with a blunt and dismissive response from Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, who reposted a clip of Phillipson's comments with the words: “I assure you she’s delusional. She can thank [Donald Trump] anytime just to set the record straight.”

The Israeli government also appeared to reject the UK's claims. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, according to The Times, argued that Britain's recent decision to join several other nations in formally recognizing Palestinian statehood had actually diminished the prospect of peace by emboldening Hamas.

"The declaration of the Palestinian state when the teams were negotiating... the message the UK sent Hamas was the longer they continue this war, they will be rewarded," Haskel said.

In a curious and potentially clarifying twist, however, a key figure in the U.S. negotiating team offered a starkly different assessment.

Steve Witkoff, President Trump's Middle East envoy, praised the UK for playing a "vital" role in securing the deal. In a post on social media reported by The Times, Witkoff wrote, “I would like to acknowledge the vital role of the United Kingdom in assisting and co-ordinating efforts that have led us to this historic day in Israel."

He even singled out Prime Minister Starmer's national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, for his "incredible input and tireless efforts."

Despite this diplomatic static, the UK is moving forward with its ambitious plans. Prime Minister Starmer, while paying "particular tribute" to President Trump's role in brokering the deal, is determined to carve out a leading role for Britain in the long and difficult road ahead.

As the ink dries on the peace agreement and the world's leaders gather in Egypt to celebrate a moment of profound and welcome relief, the real work of rebuilding a shattered land and a broken society is only just beginning.