SNP welcome 'return of Labour's backbone' as party shifts position to call for ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’ in Gaza

MPs are expected to vote on supporting a ceasefire in the House of Commons on Wednesday

Labour has been praised for showing “backbone” after calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Israel-Hamas conflict in a major shift in the party’s stance on the war.

Sir Keir Starmer has previously called for a “ceasefire that lasts” in the Middle East, but his party on Tuesday has now tabled an amendment to the SNP’s ceasefire in Gaza motion that goes further.

The SNP are forcing a vote on a ceasefire in Westminster on Wednesday, and there now seems to be little difference in the approach between the two parties.

The shift in Labour’s stance came as the Prince of Wales called for fighting to end “as soon as possible” and urged for increased humanitarian support for Gaza.

In a statement ahead of carrying out visits to recognise the human suffering caused by conflict in the Middle East and the global rise in anti-Semitism, William said he was “deeply concerned” about the “terrible human cost” since the Hamas terror attack.

The UK government welcomed William’s intervention calling for the fighting in Gaza to end “as soon as possible”, No 10 said.

However, it coincided with the United States vetoing an Arab-backed UN resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in the embattled Gaza Strip.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer

The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 13-1 with the UK abstaining, reflecting the wide global support for ending the more than four-month war.

Sir Keir’s position on the conflict had long caused unease among some in his party, with 56 Labour members breaking ranks over an earlier SNP motion three months ago and eight shadow ministers quitting in total.

In an apparent attempt to get ahead of another possible rebellion, Labour on Tuesday tabled its own lengthy amendment.

A party spokesperson said: “Our amendment calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, in line with our allies. We need the hostages released and returned. We need the fighting to stop now. We need a massive humanitarian aid programme for Gaza. And any military action in Rafah cannot go ahead.

“We want the fighting to stop now. We also have to be clear on how we prevent the violence starting up again. There will be no lasting peace without a diplomatic process that delivers a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state.”

The motion calls on MPs to “support Australia, Canada and New Zealand’s calls for Hamas to release and return all hostages and for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, which means an immediate stop to the fighting and a ceasefire that lasts and is observed by all sides”.

Sir Keir, speaking at the Scottish Labour conference on Sunday, called for a “ceasefire that lasts” in the Middle East, in an echo of previous calls by UK ministers for a “sustainable ceasefire”.

Scottish Labour delegates backed calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza at the gathering.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said Labour had shifted because of “huge concern” about Israel’s planned offensive in Rafah and the “tremendous humanitarian catastrophe” in the territory.

He told broadcasters: “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.”

That requires “both sides to lay down their arms”, Mr Lammy said.

The SNP’s motion is shorter and calls for “an immediate ceasefire” without some of the qualification attached by Labour.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn welcomed Labour’s “support for an immediate ceasefire”. He said: “Through Parliamentary pressure, we have inserted a backbone into the Labour Party.”

If passed, the SNP's opposition day motion is not binding on the government, instead expressing opposition MPs' position on a particular issue.

Clive Betts, who was among those to defy the leadership in the previous November vote, welcomed the party’s change in position and said he expected Labour to “unite” behind the amendment.

Labour would not get into the consequences for MPs who do not vote for its amendment this week.

Amnesty International UK’s head of government affairs Karla McLaren also welcomed the new approach.

She said: “It’s come months after it should have done, but we welcome Labour’s call for an immediate Gaza ceasefire. A ceasefire call on its own is not enough though – the UK government must take meaningful action to deter Israel from continuing to commit grave violations of international humanitarian law.”

No 10 said it was not yet able to set out how the Government planned to vote on Wednesday’s SNP motion, despite foreign secretary Lord Cameron repeatedly calling for a ceasefire.

A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said its position had not changed and that ministers continued to support an “immediate humanitarian pause” that would allow time for hostages to be released and aid to reach the Palestinian people.

Any ceasefire would need to be sustainable by meeting certain conditions, including “hostages being released, Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza [and] removing the terrorist infrastructure”, Rishi Sunak’s spokeswoman said.

The October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people, with about 250 taken hostage. Militants still hold around 130 hostages, and a quarter of them are believed to be dead. The war unleashed by the atrocity has killed at least 29,100 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

America’s vote on Tuesday was the third US veto of a Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Biden administration had said it would veto the resolution because of concerns it would interfere with efforts to arrange a deal between the warring parties aimed at bringing at least a six-week halt to hostilities and releasing all hostages.

In a surprise move ahead of the vote, the United States circulated a rival UN Security Council resolution that would support a temporary ceasefire in Gaza linked to the release of all hostages, and call for the lifting of all restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Both of these actions “would help to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities”, the draft resolution said.