Keir Starmer calls for Gaza ceasefire once hostages are freed following shadow Cabinet rebellion
Sir Keir Starmer has called for a ceasefire in Gaza to be implemented once hostages have been freed and Hamas’s power has been broken, as he attempts to heal widening divides within Labour.
The Leader of the Opposition made a speech on the situation in the Middle East on Tuesday morning after weeks of mounting unrest in his party over his refusal to endorse a stop to Israel’s military operation.
He repeated the claim that an immediate ceasefire would “freeze” the current situation, potentially allowing Hamas to regroup and carry out further terror attacks similar to that which took place on 7 October.
But in a bid to quell the rebellion which has seen a dozen shadow ministers speak out against his position and others lobby behind the scenes for a change of policy, Sir Keir confirmed he would support a ceasefire in future once certain conditions have been met.
He said: “Over time, the facts on the ground will inevitably change in relation to both hostages being rescued and Hamas’s capability to carry out attacks like we saw on October 7, and we must move to cessation of fighting as quickly as possible. Because the reality is that neither the long-term security of Israel nor long-term justice for Palestine can be delivered by bombs and bullets.”
The Labour leader insisted that Israel could not have a “blank cheque” to do whatever it wants in self-defence. He specified that the supply of water, fuel and medical aid to Gaza “cannot be blocked” – after appearing to suggest the opposite in an interview which has angered many party activists.
Sir Keir said: “The right to self-defence is fundamental, but it is not a blank cheque. Every step must be taken to protect civilians from bombardment. 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.”
He confirmed he was still in talks with shadow ministers over how to resolve their opposition to his policy, saying: “I’m obviously engaging with my frontbenchers but there is unity in what we want to see which is to alleviate the awful suffering in Gaza.”
A Momentum spokesman responded: “For all the fine words, Keir Starmer hasn’t shifted one inch – his speech today still backs Israel’s war on Gaza and opposes the ceasefire demanded by everyone from the UN to Save the Children.”
