UK Commits $27 Million Aid Package to Support Gaza Reconstruction
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the country will provide a £20 million (approximately $27 million) aid package to support water, sanitation, and hygiene services in Gaza. Starmer made this announcement as he arrived in Egypt to attend the summit of world leaders aimed at ending the Israel-Palestine conflict.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the country will provide a £20 million (approximately $27 million) aid package to support water, sanitation, and hygiene services in Gaza. Starmer made this announcement as he arrived in Egypt to attend the summit of world leaders aimed at ending the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The aid will be delivered through UNICEF, the World Food Program, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, targeting people facing hunger, malnutrition, and disease.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel came into effect on Friday at 12:00 PM Jerusalem time (09:00 GMT), after the Israeli government approved the deal earlier that morning.
The agreement is based on a plan introduced by US President Donald Trump, which calls for stopping the war, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, mutual prisoner releases, immediate delivery of humanitarian aid, and the disarmament of Hamas.
On Thursday, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on the first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange following indirect negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh, with participation from Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar under US supervision.
The UK also announced that it will host a three-day summit on Gaza reconstruction, with representatives from governments, the private sector, and development finance institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.
During the current fiscal year, London has provided £74 million in humanitarian aid to Palestine and officially recognized it as a state last month.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that the UK will play a central role in bringing parties together and providing expertise, investments, and resources from London to support Gaza’s reconstruction efforts.
Cooper emphasized that long-term recovery efforts should be led by Palestinians, but significant investments are essential for rebuilding.
She also stressed the need to clear debris, restore infrastructure, rebuild homes, and reinstate healthcare services in Gaza. Cooper added that it is now crucial to work with urgency and seriousness to implement a reconstruction plan for Gaza.