Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet US President Donald Trump on Monday, aiming to convince him to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to revive ceasefire talks in Gaza. The meeting comes as Starmer seeks to leverage his relationship with Trump, which has been carefully cultivated since Trump's re-election.
Starmer has previously aligned with Trump on economic issues, securing a deal that reduced tariffs on UK car, aluminium, and steel exports. He also helped shift Trump's stance on Ukraine, moving him from siding with Vladimir Putin to expressing dissatisfaction with the Russian leader. Now, Starmer faces his most challenging diplomatic task: addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The UK government has already taken steps to hold Israel accountable, including restoring funding to UNRWA, sanctioning far-right Israeli ministers, and restricting arms licences. However, Starmer is under domestic pressure to do more, with growing calls from his cabinet, Labour MPs, and the public for stronger action against Israel.
Starmer will urge Trump to push for a full lifting of Israel's blockade on aid into Gaza, where mass starvation is spreading. The longer-term goal is a ceasefire, with Starmer hoping to revive talks between Israel and Hamas after negotiations were withdrawn from Qatar last week. A 60-day pause in fighting is seen as a prerequisite for a permanent ceasefire.
The window for a deal is narrow, as the Israeli parliament is not sitting until October, giving Netanyahu cover to agree. Starmer believes Trump is the only international leader who can pressure Netanyahu. Only after a ceasefire does Starmer feel the UK can follow France in formally recognising a Palestinian state, which Downing Street insiders say is a matter of 'when, not if'.
Monday's meeting will test whether Starmer's investment in the US relationship pays off, and how far he is willing to push Trump to help end the catastrophe in Gaza.
