Labour leader Keir Starmer will seek to clarify his position on the Israel-Hamas conflict in a speech Tuesday as the UK’s main opposition party continues to face internal splits over its response.
A number of senior Labour politicians have called for a total cease-fire in the past week, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Labour’s Scottish leader Anas Sarwar. Starmer has so far aligned Labour with the British and US governments in calling for “pauses” in the fighting rather than a complete halt. He suspended one of his MPs on Monday after comments they made at a pro-Palestine rally.
While Starmer will say he understands why people want a cease-fire, he will warn that a permanent halt at this stage would leave Hamas — a designated a terrorist group by the European Union, the UK and the US — with the capability to carry out another attack. He will instead repeat his call for a humanitarian pause so aid can be distributed to civilians in Gaza.
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Starmer will call on the international community to ensure the conflict leads to a renewal of the political process toward a peaceful two-state solution. He will also reiterate Labour’s support for Israel’s right to keep its people safe within international law.
