UK ready to 'flood Gaza with far more aid' after ceasefire proposal

The UK government could "flood Gaza with far more aid" if Hamas accepts a US-backed ceasefire deal, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said, describing the proposed three-phase plan as "welcome news."

Foreign Secretary David Cameron also backed the plan which he claimed could bring an end to the conflict.

US President Joe Biden introduced the plan on Friday, claiming Hamas is "no longer capable" of carrying out another large-scale attack on Israel.

On the campaign trail in the north-eastern English town of Redcar ahead of the UK's general election on July 4, Sunak said: "I hope Hamas take this opportunity to conclude the deal that's on the table, which will ensure that the hostages can be released and be back with their families, that we can flood Gaza with far more aid than we've been getting in."

Sunak said a pause in fighting – the first phase of the deal – should become a "sustainable and lasting peace, which is what we all want to see."

The Israeli proposal features three phases, starting with a six-week "full and complete ceasefire."

The Israeli government would withdraw its forces from populated areas of Gaza and Hamas would release a number of hostages in exchange for the release of some Palestinian prisoners.

Humanitarian assistance would surge during the first phase, with 600 trucks allowed into Gaza each day.

In the second phase, Hamas would release all remaining living hostages, and Israel would withdraw its forces from other areas of Gaza. In the third and final phase, parties would launch a rebuilding programme in Gaza.

Israel reportedly transmitted its proposal to Hamas on Thursday. Biden described the decision to accept or refuse the plan as "a truly decisive moment."

Cameron on Friday wrote on X: "With a new hostage agreement on the table, Hamas must accept this deal so we can see a stop in the fighting, the hostages released and returned to their families and a flood of humanitarian aid into Gaza."

"As we've long argued a stop in the fighting can be turned into a permanent peace if we are all prepared to take the right steps. Let's seize this moment and bring this conflict to an end," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that "the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all our abductees and the elimination of Hamas's military and governmental capabilities."