Sadiq Khan joins Labour voices calling for Israel-Gaza ceasefire
Aubrey Allegretti
Keir Starmer has come under further pressure to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as one of Labour’s most senior Muslim politicians said it was the best way to avoid further “devastating loss of life”.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said the “terrible situation” in Gaza looked set to deteriorate further and that a “substantial military escalation” was brewing.
I join the international community in calling for a ceasefire,” he said, arguing it would avoid more civilian casualties, allow aid to reach those in need and allow more time to avoid the conflict growing in the Middle East.
Khan said Israel had a right to defend itself, target those responsible for what he called the terror attack on 7 October and seek to free hostages, but added: “No nation, including Israel, has the right to break international law.”
He made the comments in a two-and-a-half minute video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Thousands of innocent civilians have already been killed in Israel and Gaza. With the humanitarian crisis set to deteriorate even further, I’m calling for a ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/iOZpHTsBQC
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) October 27, 2023 Pressure has been growing on Starmer this week to support a ceasefire, after calls for him to do so from hundreds of Labour councillors and nearly a quarter of MPs, including two on the party’s frontbench.
Starmer has resisted calling for a total ceasefire, and instead supported the UK and US’s approach of backing the call for temporary pauses, which would be time and location specific, to allow aid to reach those without water, food and medicine.