Keir Starmer To Reject Calls For Israeli-Hamas Ceasefire Despite Labour Backlash

Keir Starmer is facing the biggest test of his leadership of the Labour Party.Keir Starmer will today reject calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.The Labour leader has come under mounting pressure from within his own party to support an end to hostilities.Many frontbenchers have broken ranks with the party leadership to back the demands.In his first public comments since the row erupted, Starmer will this morning say that he instead supports a “humanitarian pause” to allow vital aid to get into Gaza.He will say he understands the calls for a complete ceasefire, but insist that would just allow Hamas to regroup and launch another terror attack on Israel.The latest conflict in the Middle East erupted on October 7 when Hamas fighters entered Israel, murdered 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostage.Thousands of Palestinians have been killed during retaliatory strikes launched by Israel in response.Labour mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, as well as the pa