Sir Keir Starmer has denied the conflict in the Middle East is “tearing” Labour apart as he defended his decision not to back a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Labour leader said there was “unity” within the party on “key issues” such as how to bring about an end to the suffering in Gaza and the need for a Palestinian state as part of a long-term solution.
However, Sir Keir repeatedly defended his decision not to back a ceasefire in Gaza, prompting protesters to mob the Labour’s leader car as he left Chatham House, where he delivered a speech this morning.
The group of pro-Palestine demonstrators shouted and chanted at the Labour leader as he left the building to enter his vehicle.
In his speech, in which he sought to calm tensions over his position on the conflict, Sir Keir said he “understands” calls for a ceasefire but he did not believe it was the “correct position” to take – putting him at odds with a number of his MPs and shadow ministers who have called for one.
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He said a ceasefire “always freezes any conflict in the state where it currently lies”, adding: “That would leave Hamas with the infrastructure and the capabilities to carry out the sort of attack we saw on 7 October.
“Attacks that are still ongoing. Hostages who should be released still held. Hamas would be emboldened and start preparing for future violence immediately.”
The Labour leader has been rocked by a mutiny in his party over his position on Gaza, which has been to call for a humanitarian pause to allow more aid and support into the region but to reject a ceasefire, which is intended to be more long-term.
Several senior Labour figures have diverged from the official party line by backing a full ceasefire, including mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and shadow ministers Yasmin Qureshi, Jess Phillips and Imran Hussain, among others.
But in response to a question from Sky News on whether the issue had split Labour, Sir Keir said “we are not tearing the party apart” and that it was “united in its support for a two-state solution, but there is a difference in views on how that should be achieved”.
Mr Khan also sought to play down divisions in an interview with Sky News’ Politics Hub show, due to air tonight at 7pm.
He told Beth Rigby the were “a whole host of issues in the Middle East that [Sir] Keir and I agree on”, including humanitarian aid, de-escalation of the conflict and “the importance to condemn unequivocally Hamas”.
But he stood by his own call for a ceasefire, adding: “Those people suffering in Gaza need our support and the best way to give them support, in addition to the humanitarian aid and the essential supplies, is a ceasefire.”
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Asked whether senior figures would face any consequences for calling for an immediate end to hostilities, Sir Keir did not answer but said he took his duty to ensure collective responsibility “extremely seriously”.
While no MPs or shadow ministers have yet been disciplined for calling for a ceasefire, Sir Keir suspended Middlesborough MP Andy McDonald from the parliamentary party after what a Labour spokesman said were “deeply offensive” remarks made at a speech during a pro-Palestinian rally.
Mr McDonald said: “We won’t rest until we have justice. Until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea, can live in peaceful liberty.”
A slogan used by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, has been described as antisemitic by critics, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman claiming it is “widely understood” to call for the destruction of Israel.
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But the senior Labour MP said his reference to it was part of a “heartfelt plea” for peace, while former shadow chancellor John McDonnell called the suspension “nonsensical”.
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Sir Keir told reporters that he could not “interfere” in the party process relating to Mr McDonald, but warned Labour MPs must be “extremely careful in their language.”
Israel began a bombing campaign on Gaza after a surprise Hamas attack which saw at least 1,400 people killed and thousands more injured in Israel, and around 200 people taken hostage on 7 October.
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The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said more than 8,000 people have been killed in the 25-mile strip since then, with Israel also launching a ground offensive and a blockade on water, food, fuel and other essentials.
Sir Keir said in his speech that while Israel’s right to self-defence was “fundamental…it is not a blank cheque” and that it was not an “optional extra” for Israel to obey international law.
However, asked if he thought Israel had been acting within international law during the conflict in Gaza, he said it would be “unwise for politicians to stand on stages like this or sit in television studios and pronounce day by day which acts may or may not be in accordance with international law”.
He said supply of water, medicines, electricity and fuel to citizens in Gaza “cannot be blocked by Israel” and “every step must be taken to protect civilians from bombardment”.
He added: “Palestinians should not be forced to leave their homes en masse. But where they have no choice but to flee within Gaza, we need crystal-clear guarantees that they will be able to return quickly.”
