Keir Starmer will personally press Donald Trump to revive ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas when they meet on Monday amid growing international alarm over the starvation crisis in Gaza.
The prime minister is expected to ask the US president, who is on a four-day break in Scotland, to push for a resumption of peace talks after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiation teams from Qatar.
Downing Street said Starmer was determined to work with Trump to help bring an end to the “unspeakable suffering” in Gaza, an acknowledgment that the US is the international power with the most influence over Israel.
It comes after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams from the latest round of peace talks in Qatar last week, with Trump saying Hamas “didn’t really want to make a deal” on a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
In his talks with the US president, Starmer also intends to focus on the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with No 10 sources saying he was “horrified” by the images of starving children that had emerged from the conflict zone.
Global condemnation has been growing over Israel’s blockade of most aid leading to reports of starvation and widespread malnutrition, and the prime minister is expected to push Trump to convince Israel to allow the free flow of aid into the strip.
Israel has said it will halt military operations each day for 10 hours in three areas of Gaza and allow aid to come in through new corridors as it seeks to quell international fury over a growing starvation crisis.
Scores of Palestinians have died of starvation in recent weeks in a crisis attributed by humanitarian organisations and the UN to Israel’s blockade of almost all aid into the territory. Despite the “tactical pause” in three areas Israel will continue fighting in other areas of Gaza.
Starmer has been under growing pressure domestically to immediately recognise a Palestinian state, including from members of his cabinet, such as his deputy, Angela Rayner, as well as 130 Labour MPs.
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The French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced last week that France would formally recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly in September. But Starmer has so far not followed suit, amid concerns that the move would overshadow Trump’s visit to the UK.
While the prime minister said he was “unequivocal” about formally acknowledging Palestine, he said he would only do so at a time of “maximum utility to improve the lives of those who are suffering”, suggesting a ceasefire has to be in place first.
A No 10 source said: “[Starmer] will discuss further with [Trump] what more can be done to secure the ceasefire urgently, bring an end to the unspeakable suffering and starvation in Gaza and free the hostages who have been held so cruelly for so long.”
A More In Common poll for the Sunday Times suggests a significant shift in public sentiment about the Israel-Hamas war, with 29% of respondents saying they sympathised more with the Palestinian side, up 11 points since the month after the 7 October attacks.
This compares with 27% who sympathised with neither side, 16% who supported both sides equally and 15% who sided with Israel. A further 14% said they did not know.
Trump is also expected to discuss the economic deal between the UK and US with Starmer, as the UK prime minister attempts to refine the deal. He will meet the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, for talks on Sunday as the two sides attempt to avert a costly trade war.