PM tells Commons that ceasefire between Israel and Hamas only first tentative step to peace in the Middle East
K
eir Starmer has always known that Monday’s visit to Egypt was going to be the Donald Trump Show. After all, almost every day is the Donald Trump Show and there was no way the US president was going to share the limelight on this of all days. The day when the living Israeli hostages were freed, 1,900 Palestinian detainees were freed and the first aid trucks entered Gaza.
This was The Donald’s peace deal. A narcissist is going to narcissise. Everyone else reduced to supporting actors. At best. Keir was relegated to a non-speaking walk on part as an extra. Pushed away after a couple of seconds. Probably preferable to being arm-wrestled like Emmanuel Macron. Though not much.
Come Tuesday, Starmer was back in the UK and ready to make a statement to the Commons on the situation in Gaza. One that was altogether more nuanced than much that had been said the day before. One where the celebrations were tempered with a cautious pragmatism. The ceasefire was only the first tentative, necessary step on the way to a permanent peace. No one could take anything for granted. War had become a way of life in the Middle East. It was still possible for everything to turn to dust in a matter of weeks.
