The United States special envoy for peace missions, Steve Witkoff, publicly credited the United Kingdom for behind-the-scenes work that helped bring Israel and Hamas to a ceasefire and hostage-release framework, singling out National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell for “incredible input and tireless efforts,” according to a post on his official X account.
Witkoff’s acknowledgment came after UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News that Britain had played a “key role behind the scenes,” adding that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s presence at Monday’s signing ceremony in Egypt “demonstrates the key role that we have played.”
Setting the record 'straight'
The claim drew an unusually blunt response from Washington. The US ambassador to Israel called Phillipson “delusional,” adding that she could thank President Donald Trump “to set the record straight.” The ambassador has been a visible surrogate for the administration as the ceasefire’s first phase gets underway.
Israeli officials also pushed back on the suggestion that the UK was central to the breakthrough. Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskell told Sky News that Britain’s role was “the opposite” of pivotal and argued that moves toward recognizing a Palestinian state in previous rounds hardened Hamas’s position.
British reporting in recent days has emphasized sustained UK engagement through Powell, a veteran negotiator who served in the Good Friday Agreement talks. He has been in close contact with Witkoff as parties finalized modalities for the truce and for the release of hostages and prisoners, according to those accounts.
Starmer is set to attend the signing summit in Sharm el-Sheikh alongside regional leaders and President Trump, who has been credited by all sides for brokering the framework. London has signaled it will emphasize humanitarian assistance and support for the agreement’s next phases.