Prime Minister pledges UK leadership in Gaza’s reconstruction at historic Egyptian Peace summit
- The Prime Minister will attend the signing ceremony of the Gaza Peace Plan, marking a historic milestone for the region after two years of conflict and suffering
- He is expected to commit the UK Government to playing a leading role to accelerate Gaza’s reconstruction, working with international partners
- A £20 million humanitarian aid package will deliver essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services to tens of thousands of civilians across Gaza
The Prime Minister will today attend a landmark peace summit in Egypt, marking a historic turning point for the region following two years of conflict and bloodshed in Gaza.
To address the immediate humanitarian issues facing the civilian population of Gaza, the Prime Minister will announce £20 million of UK aid to ensure water, sanitation and hygiene services reach tens of thousands of civilians across Gaza.
The funding, delivered through UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), will help those facing famine, malnutrition and disease.
The Prime Minister is also expected to set out that the UK will play a leading role in the next phase of the peace plan, as back home the UK hosts a three-day conference on Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction.
The UK Wilton Park summit will bring together a coalition of representatives from businesses, civil society and governments, to convene crucial planning and coordination efforts for postwar Gaza.
Discussions will also cover efforts to support the Palestinian Authority’s own transformation and reform programme to ensure it can support Gaza’s recovery.
Reconstruction will be Palestinian-led, with absolutely no role for Hamas in its future governance.
The conference will be attended by a range of international partners including Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, as well as private sector and international development finance and financiers, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.
The Prime Minister is expected to say:
“We stand determined to seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace, and a stable, secure future for the whole region.
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.”
At the summit, attendees will also discuss how best to mobilise private sector resources to address the scale of reconstruction required, after more than two years of conflict have damaged or destroyed 92% of homes.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“The UK has worked intensively with international partners in recent months to create the momentum that has led to President Trump’s peace initiative, and to support the ceasefire that is now in place, but we now need to work with the same intensity and urgency to develop a plan for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction.
Gaza has been completely devasted. 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.
UK support delivered through UNICEF, the WFP and the NRC will help towards immediate humanitarian needs. Long-term recovery must be Palestinian-led but broad public and private investment will be needed to deliver the scale of reconstruction necessary.
The UK will also play a crucial part in that process, convening different parties as we are doing today with Egypt and bringing in expertise, experience and investment from the City of London to support reconstruction.”
The Foreign Secretary will continue diplomatic efforts this week to support the implementation of the US-led peace initiative, including meeting with HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein of Jordan in London.
The UK is working to ensure that the ceasefire is maintained, that all remaining hostages are released, that humanitarian aid is delivered at the pace and scale required, and that pathway is established for a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Background:
The £20 million support forms part of the UK’s broader £116 million aid commitment to the Palestinian people this year, including £74 million already allocated for life-saving assistance such as food and shelter in response to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
It includes £3.5m for the Norwegian Refugee Council, £7m for WFP to provide emergency food assistance to people in Gaza and £9.7m of funding will go to UNICEF for their vital operations in Gaza.
The UK has given £74m in humanitarian support to Palestine this financial year.
