Starmer considers joining Trump’s Gaza peace board

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is considering whether to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza.

The new body is part of the White House’s 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas.

It is expected to temporarily oversee the running of Gaza, manage its reconstruction, and be made up of world leaders.

UK diplomats are seeking more clarity from the US State Department on the role of the board and its members.

The Sunday Times first reported that Sir Keir had been invited to join the board.

Government sources told the BBC “a formal invitation has not been received and the decision has not been made”.

US media reports suggest Trump will announce the members of the board this week.

Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair is expected to join a separate executive board alongside Trump’s advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

In September the US said Sir Tony would be a member of the peace board, with the former Labour prime minister saying the American plans were “the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering”.

But the exact details of his involvement were unclear after reports suggested some Middle Eastern states had objected to giving a role to Sir Tony, who deployed British forces as part of US-led military action in Iraq.

Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said the Gaza peace board was in the process of being formed.

He said: “Essentially, it’s the most important leaders of the most important nations. You take the most important leaders and nations, that’s who the Board of Peace is going to be.”

Trump said there was strong international interest in participating in the initiative, saying: “Everybody wants to be on it.”

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was asked if Sir Keir had joined Trump’s peace board in the House of Commons on Tuesday but did not respond directly to the question.

“We supported the 20-point plan to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza,” Cooper said.

“That is still fragile and there’s still a huge amount of work to do, including humanitarian surge and support, and including the decommissioning of weapons from Hamas.

“There’s a huge amount of work still to do but it’s really important that the whole international community comes together in order to support that.”

Sir Keir has cultivated a good relationship with Trump, despite their differences over the UK’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine last year.

The prime minister has been criticised for going abroad frequently but when speaking to Labour MPs on Monday, he defended his focus on foreign affairs and attempted to link it to his domestic policy agenda.

“The cost of living crisis will not be solved by isolationism,” Starmer said.

“One thing that is crystal-clear is that we are moving into a world that is very different to the one most of us grew up in, and in a world this volatile you have to be on the pitch.

“You have to be in the room to tackle the issues working people care about.”