British prime minister says Gaza ceasefire 'long overdue'

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in a statement. 

"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," he wrote. 

"The hostages, who were brutally ripped from their homes on that day and held captive in unimaginable conditions ever since can now finally return to their families," he said. 

"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," he added.