Hamas’ acceptance of Trump’s peace plan ‘significant step forwards’: British premier

‘There is now an opportunity to end the fighting, for the hostages to return home, and for humanitarian aid to reach those who so desperately need it,’ says Keir Starmer

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday called Hamas’ acceptance of US President Donald Trump’s plan for a Gaza ceasefire a ‘significant step forwards.’

“We strongly support President Trump’s efforts, which have brought us closer to peace than ever before,” Starmer said in a statement on the US social media company X.

He urged parties to implement the deal “without delay.”

The UK, alongside its partners, “stands ready” to support negotiations and to work toward lasting peace for the Israelis and Palestinians, Starmer added.

“There is now an opportunity to end the fighting, for the hostages to return home, and for humanitarian aid to reach those who so desperately need it,” he said.

Hamas issued its formal response to Trump's plan earlier Friday, in which it approved the release of all Israeli captives, the delivery of the bodies of the deceased and the handover of Gaza's administration to an independent technocratic Palestinian body.

Trump gave Hamas until 6 pm Washington time (2200GMT) on Sunday to approve his plan that he announced earlier this week.

The plan seeks to turn Gaza into a weapons-free zone, with a transitional governance mechanism overseen directly by Trump through a new international body tasked with monitoring implementation.

It includes the release of all Israeli captives held by Hamas within 72 hours of approval, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

The plan mandates a halt to hostilities, disarming all armed groups in Gaza, and Israel’s gradual withdrawal from the war-torn coastal enclave, which is to be governed by a technocratic authority under the supervision of an international body led by the US president.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years. It tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed nearly 66,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly amid widespread displacement.

Kaynak:

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