logo
Starmer to convene urgent Cabinet meeting on Gaza to set out pathway to peace

Starmer to convene urgent Cabinet meeting on Gaza to set out pathway to peace

The Prime Minister will call senior ministers in during the summer recess for the meeting on Gaza on Tuesday afternoon, the PA news agency understands.
Sir Keir shared plans he is working on with France and Germany to 'bring about a lasting peace' with US President Donald Trump when they met in Scotland, Downing Street said.
And he plans to share details with Arab states and other key allies in the coming days.
Sir Keir is facing mounting calls to recognise Palestinian statehood immediately.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'This week, the Prime Minister is focused on a pathway to peace to ensure immediate relief for those on the ground, and a sustainable route to a two-state solution.
'We are clear that the recognition of the Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if, but it must be one of the steps on the path to a two-state solution as part of a wider plan that delivers lasting security for both Palestinians and Israelis.'
Amid international alarm over starvation in Gaza, Israel announced at the weekend that it would suspend fighting in three areas for 10 hours a day and open secure routes for aid delivery.
The UK confirmed it was taking part in airdrops of aid into the territory.
Aid agencies have welcomed the new measures but said they were not enough to counter the rising hunger in the Palestinian territory.
Sir Keir said that the British public is 'revolted' at the scenes of desperation in Gaza as he appeared alongside Mr Trump at his Turnberry golf course on Monday.
'It's a humanitarian crisis, it's an absolute catastrophe.
'Nobody wants to see that. I think people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they're seeing on their screens, so we've got to get to that ceasefire.'
The US president hinted at sticking points in US-led negotiations over a peace deal, saying Palestinian militant group Hamas had become 'very difficult to deal with' in recent weeks.
He suggested this was because they only held a small remaining number of Israeli hostages.
Sir Keir has likened the plan he is working on with France and Germany to the coalition of the willing, the international effort to support Ukraine towards a lasting peace.
Humanitarian aid is airdropped to Palestinians over the central Gaza Strip as seen from Khan Younis (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said the plan would build 'on the collaboration to date that paves the way to a long-term solution on security in the region'.
Sir Keir is meanwhile facing calls from a growing number of MPs to recognise a Palestinian state immediately.
More than 250 cross-party MPs have now signed a letter calling for ministers to take the step, up from 221 on Friday.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds on Monday dismissed the idea that there is a split at the top of Government over when to recognise a Palestinian state, saying 'we all want it to happen'.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is among those to have signalled a desire for hastened action, calling for recognition 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise', while Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the Government wants to recognise a Palestinian state 'in contribution to a peace process'.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cross-Channel migrants to be detained as France treaty comes into force
Cross-Channel migrants to be detained as France treaty comes into force

North Wales Chronicle

timea minute ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Cross-Channel migrants to be detained as France treaty comes into force

The deal, which has now been approved by the European Commission, means the UK will be able to send people crossing the Channel in small boats back to France in exchange for asylum seekers with ties to Britain. It also means that anyone arriving in a small boat can be detained immediately, and space has been set aside at immigration removal centres in the expectation that detentions will begin within days. The Prime Minister said the ratification of the treaty will 'send a clear message – if you come here illegally on a small boat you will face being sent back to France'. But opposition parties have criticised the deal amid reports that the pilot scheme will see only 50 people a week returned to France while this year has seen a weekly average of more than 800 people make the crossing. The deal has also been criticised by refugee charities, which have urged the Government to provide more safe, legal routes for asylum seekers instead. Ministers have so far declined to say how many people could be returned under the deal, and insist that if the pilot is successful the figure will increase. Under the terms of the agreement, announced during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit last month, adults arriving on small boats will face being returned to France if their asylum claim is inadmissible. In exchange, the same number of people will be able to come to the UK on a new legal route, provided they have not attempted a crossing before and subject to documentation and security checks. The Home Office said it had also learned from the 'lengthy legal challenges' over the previous government's Rwanda scheme and would 'robustly defend' any attempts to block removal through the courts. It is the first such deal with France, with the pilot scheme set to run until June 2026, pending a longer-term agreement. Sir Keir said the deal was 'The product of months of grown-up diplomacy delivering real results for British people'. He added: 'The days of gimmicks and broken promises are over – we will restore order to our borders with the seriousness and competence the British people deserve.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it was 'an important step towards undermining the business model of the organised crime gangs that are behind these crossings – undermining their claims that those who travel to the UK illegally can't be returned to France'. Ratification of the deal comes as both Britain and France battle to bring the small boats problem under control, with 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings. Some 25,436 people have already made the journey this year, according to PA news agency analysis of Home Office figures – 49% higher than at the same point in 2024. The issue has also sparked concern that a series of protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers could lead to public disorder similar to last year's riots. On Monday, the Home Office announced it was providing another £100 million to tackle people smuggling and would introduce new powers to seize devices from people suspected of facilitating crossings. Ministers have also launched a crackdown on illegal working in an effort to reduce the 'pull factors' said to be encouraging people to make the journey, while French authorities have changed their guidance to allow police officers to intercept boats while they are in shallow waters. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp attacked the plans, saying they would return 'just 6% of illegal arrivals' and 'make no difference whatsoever'. He added: 'The Rwanda removals deterrent, under which 100% of illegal arrivals would be removed, was ready to go last summer but Labour cancelled it just days before it was due to start with no proper replacement plan. As a result, this year so far has been the worst ever for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. 'Only removing all illegal immigrants upon arrival will provide the necessary deterrent to stop the crossings. This is the Conservative plan, but Labour is too weak to implement it and as a result they have lost control of our borders.' While the Conservatives' Rwanda plan was in theory uncapped, it was expected to take only around 1,000 asylum seekers in its first five years of operation thanks to limited capacity in the East African nation. The plan, which Sir Keir had previously dismissed as a 'gimmick', was scrapped as one of the first acts of the incoming Labour Government last year.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Mercenaries from China, Pakistan and Africa fighting for Moscow, claims Zelensky
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Mercenaries from China, Pakistan and Africa fighting for Moscow, claims Zelensky

The Independent

timea minute ago

  • The Independent

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Mercenaries from China, Pakistan and Africa fighting for Moscow, claims Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky vowed a response after claiming that 'mercenaries' from China, Pakistan and some Africa nations were fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. "We spoke with commanders about the frontline situation, the defence of Vovchansk, and the dynamics of the battles," the Ukrainian president said on X after visiting a frontline area in the northeastern Kharkiv region. "Our warriors in this sector are reporting the participation of mercenaries from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and African countries in the war. We will respond." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov played down the significance of Mr Trump's announcement last Friday that he had ordered two submarines to be moved to "the appropriate regions". "In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process, that's the first thing," Mr Peskov said. "Of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric." Kremlin warns US over nuclear rhetoric after Trump moves submarines into region The Kremlin has warned that everyone should be careful about nuclear rhetoric, after Donald Trump ordered a repositioning of US nuclear submarines. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov played down the significance of Mr Trump's announcement last Friday that he had ordered two submarines to be moved to "the appropriate regions". The move came after former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev made remarks about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries. "In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process, that's the first thing," Mr Peskov said. "But in general, of course, we would not want to get involved in such a controversy and would not want to comment on it in any way," he added. "Of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric." Mr Peskov said that Russia did not see Mr Trump's statement as marking an escalation in nuclear tension. He also declined to answer directly when asked whether the Kremlin had tried to warn Mr Medvedev to tone down his online altercation with the US president. Arpan Rai5 August 2025 04:36 'Mercenaries' from China, Pakistan and other countries fighting for Russia, says Zelensky Foreign 'mercenaries' from China, Pakistan and parts of Africa are fighting alongside Russian forces in Moscow's war in Ukraine, the war-hit country's president Volodymyr Zelensky said, vowing a response. "We spoke with commanders about the frontline situation, the defence of Vovchansk, and the dynamics of the battles," Mr Zelensky wrote on X after visiting a frontline area in the northeastern Kharkiv region. "Our warriors in this sector are reporting the participation of mercenaries from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and African countries in the war. We will respond,' Mr Zelensky said yesterday. The Ukrainian president has previously accused Moscow of recruiting Chinese fighters for its war effort against Ukraine, charges Beijing denied, and had issued the first signs of North Korean soldiers fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region. 5 August 2025 04:06

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store