KEIR Starmer has said that the people of Gaza “must” be allowed to return to their homes – but failed to tell MPs that he would speak to the White House about calls for ethnic cleansing of the region from US president Donald Trump.
It comes after Trump met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington DC – and said the US would “take over” the Gaza strip and force its population to relocate.
The Prime Minister was challenged on the statement from the US leader at PMQs on Wednesday.
Liberal Democrat Ed Davey said: “Last night, many of us were alarmed to hear President Trump speak about forcibly displacing 1.8 million people from Gaza.
“The Prime Minister has spoken to the president on several occasions now. Does he personally believe that Trump recognises the dangers of statements like this to the fragile ceasefire in Gaza and indeed to the security of both Palestinians and Israelis?
“I'm glad that the Foreign Secretary has confirmed that the Government's position is still a two-state solution.
“I think that has support on all sides of the House, but will [Starmer] reassure the House that this position and our concerns on these dangerous statements from the President will be communicated to the White House directly and firmly?”
In his response, Starmer did not answer the question about communications with the White House.
“The most important issue on the ceasefire is obviously it’s sustained, we see it through the phases, and that means that the remaining hostages come out and the aid that's desperately needed gets into Gaza at speed and at the volumes that are needed.
“I have, from the last few weeks, two images fixed in my mind.
“The first is the image of [former Hamas hostage] Emily Damari reunited with her mother, which I found extremely moving.
“The second was the image of thousands of Palestinians walking, literally walking through the rubble to try to find their homes and their communities in Gaza.
“They must be allowed home. They must be allowed to rebuild and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution.”
The Prime Minister’s comments come after David Lammy failed to condemn Trump’s calls for ethnic cleansing, instead telling press that the US president was “right” to say Gaza is in ruins.
After PMQs, the Prime Minister's official spokesperson said that the UK Government "will talk to President Trump about all of his proposals, as you’d expect".
They added: “But the UK’s position is there must be a scenario where Palestinians are able to return home.”
Downing Street also rejected the idea that Trump’s remarks about Gaza could jeopardise the ceasefire deal in the Middle East.
Asked whether the US president’s proposals could put the agreement at risk, the official spokesperson said: “No, and we will obviously continue to support the implementation of that.”
Asked whether it was accepted that the UK’s two-state position is at odds with the US president’s suggestions that America could take ownership of the Gaza Strip, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson refused to be drawn.
“We will work with President Trump and his team on a wide range of issues, including the Middle East," they said.
Asked whether tarmer was afraid of criticising Trump in case it jeopardised a potential UK-US trade deal, the spokesperson said: “We’re working with President Trump and his team on a wide range of issues.”
He added that Britain’s position in relation to a two-state solution remains unchanged.
