Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer’s decision not to push for a ceasefire in Gaza has caused 10 Labour councillors and a council leader to quit the party. Among those leaving the party is Afrasiab Anwar, the leader of Burnley Council who had previously called for Starmer to resign over the issue. The councillors said in a statement that it was “untenable” to remain as members of the Labour Party. Before the resignations, Labour held 22 seats on Burnley Council’s 45 seats.
Labour’s position on Gaza has led to several resignations in councils across England, including in Oxford where the party has lost control of the city council. The party supports the government’s stance of calling for Israel to pause its action against Hamas to allow aid into Gaza. A Labour spokesperson said that the party understood calls for a ceasefire, but that one at this point would only “freeze the conflict,” leaving hostages in Gaza and Hamas capable of carrying out further attacks on Israel.
Concerns about Sir Keir’s position on the Gaza conflict are understood to have reached the shadow cabinet level and several Labour MPs including shadow ministers have called for a ceasefire. However, Starmer has rejected these calls, believing that international law must be followed at all times and that innocent civilians must be protected. The Labour Party remains the largest party in Burnley Council, following the resignations.
Since 7 October, Israel has carried out thousands of air and artillery strikes in Gaza, and a ground offensive is ongoing. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported more than 9,700 deaths since 7 October. Meanwhile, a Hamas attack on Israel killed more than 1,400 people and kidnapped more than 200 others.
Everybody wants to see an end to this cycle of violence and suffering, said a Labour spokesperson. However, hostages need to be released and aid needed to reach those in need, and international law must be followed at all times, they added
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