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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that his government is prepared to take a “leading role” in the reconstruction of Gaza, ahead of a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday.
According to a Downing Street statement on Sunday, Starmer will pledge £20 million ($26.7 million) in humanitarian aid to help restore water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure destroyed during two years of conflict.
The summit, chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, follows a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas on Friday.
Starmer is expected to describe the gathering as an opportunity to move from the initial phase of ending hostilities to “the second phase, in full,” focused on recovery and reconstruction.
In addition to immediate humanitarian support, the UK will host a three-day international conference to plan Gaza’s postwar reconstruction and the transformation of the Palestinian Authority.
The conference is set to include participation from Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, as well as private sector representatives and international financiers, though a date has yet to be confirmed.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasised the scale of the task ahead, saying, “Gaza has been completely devastated.
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.”
She added that the UK would leverage expertise, investment, and experience from the City of London to help support the rebuilding effort and coordinate international partners alongside Egypt.
