British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Thursday welcomed the US announcement from a day earlier on the implementation of Phase Two of President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza.
“I welcome the commitment to move to Phase 2 of the Peace Plan, including the announcement of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza," Cooper said in a statement.
“It’s critical we build momentum to sustain the ceasefire, address the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza with increased aid, remove the threat from Hamas, and deliver long-term peace for Israelis and Palestinians. All parties must deliver on their commitments under President Trump’s 20 Point Peace Plan," she added.
“These transitional measures should be delivered with the support of the international community, in accordance with international law, with respect for Palestinian sovereignty and self-determination, and in support of a two-state solution with security and peace for both Israel and Palestine. The UK has been consistently clear that the future of Gaza must be Palestinian-led," concluded the Foreign Secretary.
Yvette’s statement came a day after US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced that the US would now move to implement the second phase of the Trump administration's Gaza peace plan.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that the “Board of Peace for Gaza" has been created, adding that the names of the members would be made public at a later date.
"It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed. The Members of the Board will be announced shortly, but I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The US decision to move to Phase Two was made despite the fact that the body of Ran Gvili, the last hostage, continues to be held in Gaza.
As part of the conditions of the ceasefire, Hamas was to have returned all the hostages it was holding in Phase One, but it continues to hold Gvili’s body, while claiming that it does not know where the body is.
Israel has provided critical information on the burial place of Gvili, but Hamas has ignored it.
The Israeli government has maintained its opposition to the implementation of the second phase before Hamas fulfills all of its obligations from the first stage, including the return of Gvili.