Press releases
UK: Keir Starmer's failure to call for Gaza ceasefire shows lack of 'principled leadership'
Commenting on Keir Starmer's speech on the Israel-Gaza crisis today, Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:
“In failing to call for an immediate ceasefire, Keir Starmer is not showing the clear and principled leadership that this decades-old crisis needs.
“Instead of tracking so closely to UK and US government calls for a vague and unclear ‘pause’, Mr Starmer should be supporting the United Nations and expert aid organisations on the ground in Gaza who say an immediate ceasefire is a matter of life and death for millions.
“A negotiated ceasefire would mean a stop to all unlawful attacks by all parties, provide an opportunity for negotiation for the releases of hostages, halt the mounting death toll and enable aid agencies to get life-critical aid, water and medical supplies into Gaza to address what are now staggering levels of human suffering.
“A ceasefire would also allow independent international investigators to properly document war crimes and other serious breaches of humanitarian law.
“The Labour leader is right to denounce the war crimes perpetrated by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on and after 7 October, but his unwillingness to denounce the many years of actions that also constitute war crimes by Israel in Gaza is only serving to prolong this crisis.
"It is deeply disappointing that Mr Starmer did not use this moment to be clear that under his leadership the UK would be consistent and rigorous in supporting international law.
“Keir Starmer should be publicly supporting the role of the International Criminal Court in investigating crimes by any party in a conflict, as well as addressing the root causes of this crisis, including Israel’s system of apartheid against Palestinians."