Trump LIVE: Israel braced for hostage return ahead of president visit as Gaza aid builds

6 mins ago13:04 Ciaran McGrath

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will attend Monday’s Cairo summit alongside Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to mark the signing of a 20-point Gaza peace plan.

Downing Street said Starmer will pay “particular tribute” to Trump and regional partners for bringing talks to this stage.

The Prime Minister is expected to urge “swift progress” toward the next phase of the peace process, including establishing a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.

French President Emmanuel Macron will also attend, according to the Elysse Palace. Critics have accused Sir Keir of seeking a photo opportunity rather than exerting real diplomatic influence.

Sir Keir Starmer will be alongside Donald Trump (Image: Getty)

21 mins ago12:49 Ciaran McGrath

The ceasefire holding in Gaza is a “massive step forward” but “only the start of a process,” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said on Sunday.

She defended the UK’s involvement in brokering the initial stages of the truce ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s trip to Egypt for Monday’s summit.

Ms Phillipson insisted Britain had played a “key role behind the scenes” but warned there was no “cast-iron guarantee” the peace would last.

She stressed that Hamas would have “no role” in Gaza’s reconstruction as negotiations moved toward a two-state solution.

She told the BBC: “We’re hopeful this peace can endure but no-one can give any form of absolute guarantee.”

42 mins ago12:28 Ciaran McGrath

Israel is preparing for the return of remaining hostages under a fragile ceasefire deal as Donald Trump prepares to visit the region for the signing of a new Gaza peace plan. The truce, brokered by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, has largely held ahead of Monday’s summit in Cairo, where world leaders including Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are set to attend.

The first phase of the plan is expected to see hostages freed and Palestinian prisoners released by morning. Israeli forces have begun pulling back to agreed positions, while maintaining a defensive presence across roughly half of Gaza. Humanitarian aid has started to enter the enclave in larger volumes amid cautious optimism that the ceasefire will hold.