Saturday, March 29, 2025
Yvette Cooper, the UK’s new Foreign Secretary, believes the international community is close to securing a Gaza peace agreement that could end two years of conflict. Her remarks follow signals from US President Donald Trump that a deal is within reach.
Cooper, who recently returned from a UN summit, stated there is now a “huge consensus building” and a sense of momentum, suggesting the world has “reached a moment where the world wants to end this war.”
Despite the building momentum, Cooper urged the Israeli government to “urgently change course” away from its renewed military offensive, directly contradicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed at the UN that his country “must finish the job.”
While acknowledging the catastrophic humanitarian situation where “words seem hollow” in response to the “screams and pain” of children, Cooper declined to state that Israel is committing genocide. She maintained the government’s position that such a conclusion is a matter for a legal process. Cooper has reportedly been among ministers who privately pushed the Prime Minister to recognize a Palestinian state.
The U.S. is reportedly backing a plan to install Tony Blair to lead a temporary, technocratic administration in Gaza. Cooper repeatedly declined to endorse the former UK Prime Minister for the role, though she confirmed he is among those adding proposals to the process. Blair remains a controversial figure in the region due to the 2003 Iraq war.
The proposed peace plan is said to be compatible with a UN-endorsed plan, agreeing on core issues like no mass displacement, no role for Hamas, and no West Bank annexation. Cooper recognized the process is fragile but insisted the immediate goals are a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the restoration of humanitarian aid.
The US President, who will play an instrumental role in bringing Israel on board, told reporters recently that it was “looking like we have a deal on Gaza.”
