British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described a ceasefire deal ending the conflict in Gaza as “long overdue” and said the focus should turn to humanitarian aid and securing a better longer-term future in the region, Reuters reports.

“After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for,” Starmer said in an emailed statement.

“For the innocent Palestinians whose homes turned into a warzone overnight and the many who have lost their lives, this ceasefire must allow for a huge surge in humanitarian aid, which is so desperately needed to end the suffering in Gaza.

“And then our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people.”