Starmer calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza as he bids to head off Labour revolt on crunch Commons vote

SIR Keir Starmer today called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza as he battled to head off a Labour revolt.

The opposition chief toughened his party’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war ahead of a major vote on Wednesday.

PA

Sir Keir Starmer called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” for the first time[/caption]

Labour rebels were gearing up to vote for an SNP motion calling for the war to end now.

A similar ballot last year saw ten frontbenchers quit and more than 50 rebel with the Nats.

To stop his backbenchers siding with the SNP, Sir Keir tabled an amendment where he backed an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” for the first time.

Labour had so far been calling for an instant pause in the fighting, leading to a “sustainable” end to the war.

For months Sir Keir faced mounting pressure from MPs to ramp up his rhetoric on the Gaza war.

Politicians with large Muslim constituencies warned that anything less than a call for an immediate ceasefire would cause an uproar.

Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “We said back on October 7 that we supported Israel’s right to defend itself.

“It is our assessment that there has been a considerable degrading of Hamas’s ability.

“We want those hostages to come out. But we’re absolutely clear that what we now need is an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”

Mr Lammy added that a ceasefire would require “both sides to lay down their arms”.

Labour MPs will be whipped to vote for Sir Keir’s amendment.

If it doesn’t pass they’ve been instructed to abstain on the SNP motion.

Responding to the move, SNP Westminster chief Stephen Flynn said: “Through Parliamentary pressure we have inserted a backbone into the Labour Party.

“Their support for an immediate ceasefire is welcome.”