'As long as it isn't Starmer': Farage says Blair 'not my choice' to help govern Gaza but understands Trump's logic

Nigel Farage has said Sir Tony Blair would not be his choice to lead an interim government in Gaza, but understands Donald Trump's logic in choosing the former Labour prime minister.

The Reform leader said "as long as it's not Keir Starmer" heading up a transitional Gaza authority, he is happy. He said the Gaza ceasefire agreement, brokered by the US, is "an absolutely heroic effort by the American administration" and is "something very big to celebrate".

Politics latest: Farage stunned by guilty plea of former Welsh Reform leader over Russia bribes The White House has backed a plan that would see Sir Tony, who led the UK into the Iraq War, heading up a temporary administration of the Gaza Strip for as long as five years. But Mr Farage was not so enthusiastic about that prospect; however accepts it is going to happen.

"As for Blair, look, he wouldn't be my choice," he said. "However, and this is what Trump's logic is: Blair does command considerable support from the UAE, from Qatar, from, I think, the Saudis as well.

"And the really important part of this deal is not just that we have a ceasefire right now and hostages about to be returned very shortly. "The even bigger and more significant part of this deal is that 22 Arab countries are signed up to it.

This is a coming together of the Middle East. "And so Trump's logic is that Blair helps with that.

As I say, he wouldn't necessarily be my first choice, but it's happening." Read more:Gaza latest: Netanyahu warns troops will stay under certain conditions metHow two years of war have shattered the Gaza Strip Mr Farage also accused the British and French governments of hampering a peace deal. "I think if anybody did their best to stop a peace deal happening, it was the British government, the French government, recognising the state of Palestine without anything whatsoever in return," he added.

On Friday, a senior Hamas official rejected Mr Trump's proposal for a transitional "Board of Peace" in Gaza. Mr Trump announced the peace deal on Thursday and Israel's government ratified it hours later.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians started walking towards northern Gaza after the Israeli military said the ceasefire had begun at midday local time on Friday. The US president said the remaining hostages, both dead and alive, held by Hamas will be released on either Monday or Tuesday, followed by the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Mr Trump will fly to the Middle East, expected to be Egypt, this weekend to sign the agreement..