- The Foreign Secretary joins international partners at the Cairo Peace Summit alongside Minister for the Middle East
- James Cleverly and Lord Ahmad will hold high-level talks with leaders from across the world to strengthen engagement around a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Hamas conflict
- UK attendance at the summit follows Foreign Secretary’s visit to Egypt, Turkey and Qatar
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NNA - The British Embassy in Lebanon announced, in a statement, that the United Kingdom is reinforcing its commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.
The statement read as follows:
The UK is reinforcing its commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East, with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly attending the Cairo Peace Summit today (21 October).
At the Summit, the Foreign Secretary will emphasise the UK’s desire to prevent the regional spread of the conflict and mitigate the threat from Hamas. He will work with international partners towards a peaceful resolution that ensures Israel’s security and protects the rights of Palestinians.
James Cleverly has welcomed trucks carrying lifesaving aid beginning to cross the Rafah border into Gaza this morning. The UK will continue to push for immediate, unimpeded and safe humanitarian access for aid to reach civilians in Gaza. This includes adequate volumes of food, water, fuel and medical supplies as a priority. The safety of civilians and humanitarian personnel is critical to enable aid to reach those who need it most.
A £10 million aid package was announced by the Prime Minister in response to the escalating conflict in Gaza earlier this week – with funding now being made available to agencies helping vulnerable civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). This is a 37% uplift to the existing £27 million of UK funding this year which is already providing critical support to the region.
Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have spoken to counterparts from around 20 countries as part of extensive diplomatic efforts since the Hamas attacks on 7 October.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:
“The civilians of Gaza are facing an increasingly desperate situation – lifesaving aid must reach those who need it.
“I am also attending this summit to work with partners on preventing the spread of violence and securing the release of hostages.”
The trip builds on the Prime Minister’s meetings with the leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the Palestinian Authorities in the region this week. The Foreign Secretary has also visited Egypt, Turkey and Qatar over the last three days, where he pushed for agreement on humanitarian access to Gaza, the release of British hostages and foreign nationals, and securing safe passage for British Nationals to leave Gaza.
----- British Embassy in Beirut
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