Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is facing new pressure to back a ceasefire in Gaza as a frontbench MP resigned over the party’s stance.
The opposition party leader sought to quell a rebellion over the issue last week, saying a ceasefire at this time would only benefit the Hamas terrorist group and lead to more violence.
Imran Hussain, MP for Bradford East, resigned on Tuesday from his role as the shadow minister for the new deal for working people, insisting that Labour “needs to go further and call for a ceasefire.”
The Israel–Hamas war began after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,400 Israelis and kidnapping over 200 hostages. Most of the victims were civilians, and some, including children, have been found to have been raped, decapitated, and burnt.
Hussain: Ceasefire ‘Essential’ to End Bloodshed
In his letter to Sir Keir, Mr. Hussain said he believes the “ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza differs substantially” from the position adopted by the opposition leader.Citing U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s call for an immediate ceasefire and his comment that Gaza had become a “graveyard for children,” Mr. Hussain said he “cannot sufficiently, in all good conscience” call for a ceasefire from the Labour frontbench given the party’s current position.
Mr. Hussain said he believes a ceasefire is “essential to ending the bloodshed.”
The MP also said he had been “deeply troubled” by Sir Keir’s previous comment on LBC, when he said he believed “Israel does have [the] right” to cut off power and water to Gaza.
The party leader later sought to clarify the response, saying he was referring to the “right to self defence” rather than “the right to cut off water, food, fuel, or medicines.”
Mr. Hussain said while he appreciate the clarification, he believes “the party needs to go further and call for a ceasefire.”
Labour: Humanitarian Pauses ‘Most Realistic’
Following Mr. Hussain’s resignation, Labour said the party will continue to resist calls for a ceasefire.“Labour fully understands calls for a ceasefire. Everybody wants to see an end to the shocking images we are seeing in Gaza. We need to see all hostages released and aid getting to those most in need,” a spokesperson said.
“But a ceasefire now will only freeze this conflict and would leave hostages in Gaza and Hamas with the infrastructure and capability to carry out the sort of attack we saw on October the 7th.
“International law must be followed at all times and innocent civilians must be protected. Labour is calling for humanitarian pauses in the fighting. This is the best and most realistic way to address the humanitarian emergency in Gaza and is a position shared by our major allies.”
Speaking on Times Radio, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson urged caution when asked about Mr. Hussain’s view that Israel has broken international law.
“I would urge colleagues to always carefully choose their words where it comes to fast-moving international events, and where it isn’t always clear or apparent very quickly what is happening on the ground,” she said.
Speaking in Parliament, shadow foreign office minister Lisa Nandy called the ongoing war a “children’s war” as “the average age in Gaza is just 18.”
“More children have died in Gaza in four weeks than in all of the world’s conflicts in each of the last three years,” she said. “There are a million children caught up in the devastation who are orphaned and displaced, sleeping outside as the weather grows colder, short of food and forced to drink dirty water.”
Minister: Hamas Has No Intention of Engaging in Ceasefire
Updating Parliament on the situation in Gaza, Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell said: “The terrorists continue to launch rockets relentlessly at Israeli homes and families, their stated aim repeated publicly in recent weeks is the destruction of the Israeli state and the eradication of their people.“That is why the government unequivocally supports Israel’s right to defend itself. However, we have also repeatedly stressed that Israel must take every precaution to minimise civilian casualties in line with international humanitarian law.”
Mr. Mitchell said the UK continues to press Israel to “ensure its campaign is targeted against Hamas leaders, militants, and military infrastructure,” and condemns settlers’ violence.
“Israel needs to take concrete measures to address it and hold the perpetrators to account,” the minister said.
Speaking of calls for a ceasefire, Mr. Mitchell said ministers “recognise the motivation” for the call, “but at this time in this situation, it is perfectly clear that Hamas have no intention of engaging in a ceasefire. Indeed, they have repeatedly made clear that their intention is to repeat the awful events of Oct. 7.”
Asked whether the government believes Israel is complying with international human rights law, the minister said it’s “for the lawyers and a court” to make the assessment, adding, “The critical thing is Britain makes it clear that all countries must abide by international humanitarian law and the rules of war.”
According to Mr. Mitchell, over 150 British nationals had left Gaza through the Rafah crossing by Tuesday.
