UK leader hails Hamas response to Trump peace plan as “significant step forward”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described Hamas’ reaction to US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative as an important breakthrough, stressing that London strongly supports Washington’s efforts.

“Hamas' acceptance of the US peace plan is a significant step forward. We strongly support President Trump's efforts, which have brought us closer to peace than ever before,” Starmer said in an official statement.

He added that there was now an opportunity to “end the fighting, bring hostages home and allow humanitarian aid access to those in dire need.”

The British leader urged “all parties to immediately begin implementing the agreement,” and assured that the UK, together with international partners, “is ready to support further negotiations and work to achieve a sustainable peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

On October 4, Hamas announced that it had agreed to certain parts of Trump’s proposal to end the conflict in Gaza, including relinquishing power and freeing the remaining hostages, while stating that other aspects required additional internal consultations among Palestinians.

The group’s announcement followed Trump’s ultimatum earlier in the day, when he declared that Hamas must agree to the plan by Sunday evening or face a far more devastating military assault. The ultimatum comes nearly two years into the war, which began with the October 7 attack on Israel.

It remained unclear how Washington and Tel Aviv would react to Hamas’ partial acceptance. Trump, however, has signalled a determination to secure a deal ahead of October 7, which marks the second anniversary of the attack, saying he aims to both end the war and secure the release of dozens of hostages.

His peace plan has been endorsed by Israel and welcomed by much of the international community. Nevertheless, key mediators such as Egypt and Qatar have said that certain provisions still require additional negotiation, though they did not provide specifics.

“An agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at 6 pm Washington DC time,” Trump wrote on social media on October 4.

“Every country has signed on! If this last chance agreement is not reached, all hell, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas. There will be peace in the Middle East one way or the other.”

The plan, unveiled earlier this week by Trump alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lays out a number of provisions. Hamas would immediately release the remaining 48 hostages, of whom about 20 are believed to still be alive, and would surrender power while disarming.

In exchange, Israel would suspend its offensive operations, withdraw from large portions of the Gaza Strip, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and allow large-scale humanitarian assistance into the territory, with eventual reconstruction to follow.

Proposals to transfer much of Gaza’s population abroad would be abandoned under the plan. Instead, the territory, home to roughly two million Palestinians, would come under international administration, with Trump himself and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing the arrangement.

The plan does not include provisions for a future Palestinian state that would unite Gaza with the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

By Tamilla Hasanova