The US ambassador to Israel has branded Bridget Phillipson "delusional" after she claimed Britain played a “key role” in securing the Gaza ceasefire.

The Education Secretary said the Government was involved in the peace deal "behind the scenes".

"We have played a key role behind the scenes in shaping this," she told Sky News.

"It is right that we do so because it is in all our of interests, including our own national interest, that we move to a lasting peace in the region."

When pressed on what role Britain played, Ms Phillipson said: "These are complex matters of diplomacy that we are involved in.

"But we do welcome and recognise the critical role the American Government played in leading us to this point."

US ambassador Mike Huckabee however rubbished the Labour minister's claims.

He wrote to X: "I assure you she’s delusional.

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee accused Bridget Phillipson of being 'delusional'

"She can thank Donald Trump anytime just to set the record straight."

Israel's deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, also rejected the assertion, saying she would "have to contradict" it and accused Britain of diminishing the prospect of peace by emboldening Hamas when it recognised Palestinian statehood.

The Prime Minister will attend the “signing ceremony” for the Gaza peace plan in Sharm El Sheikh on Monday, where he is expected to heap praise on Mr Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.

Sir Keir will pay “particular tribute” to the US leader and partners in the region for “bringing us to this point” before calling for “swift progress towards phase two”, Downing Street has said.

Bridget Phillipson claimed Britain played a 'key role' in the Gaza peace deal

French President Emmanuel Macron will also attend, the Elysee Palace confirmed on Saturday.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Sir Tony Blair, who was poised to potentially join a “Board of Peace” supervising governance of Gaza under the plans, met the deputy chief of the Palestinian Authority on Sunday.

Palestine's vice president, Hussein Al-Sheikh, said he had “confirmed our readiness to work with President Trump, Mr Blair” and other partners to secure the entry of aid and the release of hostages and prisoners, before starting on “recovery and reconstruction”.

“We stressed the importance of stopping the undermining of the Palestinian Authority, and especially the return of the withheld Palestinian revenues and preventing the undermining of the two-state solution in preparation for a comprehensive and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy,” he wrote in a post to X.

More than 67,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict

The 20-point plan brokered by the US president calls for Israel to maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel.

An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside the enclave.

The Israeli military has said it will continue to operate defensively from the roughly 50 per cent of Gaza it still controls after pulling back to agreed-upon lines.

Under the terms of the agreement, the first phase of the plan is expected to see remaining hostages returned to their families and Palestinian prisoners released by Monday morning.

The Government has already said there are no plans to send British troops to be part of the multinational force that will monitor the truce.

About 200 US troops have arrived in Israel, where they are expected to set up a centre to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid and provide security assistance, according to the Associated Press.

The Gaza war was triggered when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children.