Keir Starmer faces significant Labour revolt following vote on Gaza ceasefire

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the UK Labour Party, has faced a significant rebellion within his party over his stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. 56 Labour MPs voted in favor of an immediate ceasefire, leading to the resignation of several shadow ministers, including Jess Phillips, Afzal Khan, and Yasmin Qureshi. In total, 10 frontbenchers, including eight shadow ministers, have left their positions due to the vote. Sir Keir has supported pauses in the conflict to provide humanitarian aid, rather than endorsing a formal ceasefire. Those who resigned stated that they were voting based on their constituents' concerns and their own beliefs about the lack of peace and security in the region. The SNP motion calling for an end to the collective punishment of Palestinians and an immediate ceasefire was defeated, with 125 votes in support and 294 against. Demonstrations by pro-Palestinian supporters were held outside Parliament during the voting. Sir Keir justified his stance by referring to Israel's recent terrorist attack and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He argued that a ceasefire would not be appropriate as it would strengthen Hamas. Instead, Labour, along with the UK government, the US, and the EU, is advocating for temporary humanitarian pauses to facilitate aid delivery. These pauses are intended to address the immediate humanitarian needs rather than provide a long-term political solution. The US announced that Israel would institute four-hour military pauses in northern Gaza on a daily basis.