(MENAFN) UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Egypt on Sunday to participate in a high-stakes international peace summit focused on achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, media reported.

Downing Street confirmed that Starmer will pay "particular tribute" to US President Donald Trump during Monday’s summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh.

The summit, co-led by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, seeks “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East and usher in a new phase of regional security and stability,” according to official statements from Cairo.

Over 20 global leaders are slated to attend, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

On Wednesday, Trump revealed that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas had agreed to the initial stage of his 20-point ceasefire plan for Gaza. This first phase includes releasing all Israeli captives in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, alongside a gradual Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. This phase went into effect on Friday.

The plan’s second phase involves forming a new Gaza governing body that excludes Hamas, deploying a multinational peacekeeping force, and disarming Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli strikes have resulted in the deaths of over 67,600 Palestinians in Gaza, predominantly women and children, devastating the region and leaving it nearly unlivable.

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