A senior member of the Labour Party has criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, stating that they have exceeded what could be considered reasonable self-defense.
Wes Streeting, the Shadow Health Secretary, suggested that Israel might have violated international law with its military operations, which have resulted in the deaths of over 28,000 people in Gaza since the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israelis.
According to Streeting, Labour’s response to a Scottish National Party-led motion for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which will be debated on Wednesday, February 21 still needs to be decided.
“We want to see a ceasefire, of course we do. And we have been increasingly concerned, as the wider international community has been, with the disproportionate loss of civilian life in Gaza. Israel has a responsibility to get its hostages back, every country in the world has a right to defend itself. But I think what we have seen are actions that go beyond reasonable self-defense and also call into question whether Israel has broken international law. The ICJ [International Court of Justice] are now investigating and we take all of that seriously.”
Wes Streeting
Labour has refrained from explicitly advocating an immediate ceasefire, instead employing more cautious language emphasizing the importance of achieving a durable end to the fighting.
As the number of casualties in Gaza continues to rise, and with several Labour MPs calling for a ceasefire, the party’s position has been evolving. Wes Streeting’s recent remarks are seen as some of the strongest criticisms from within Labour.
Addressing the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow, Keir Starmer emphasized the urgency of ending the conflict in Gaza, stating that the fighting must cease immediately.
He also cautioned Israel against expanding its military operations to the southern city of Rafah.
Furthermore, Streeting said Labour was considering its options on the Scottish National Party (SNP) vote.
“We’ll see what the final motion looks like. We’re considering our own options on this – we all want to see a ceasefire. We’ve seen an intolerable loss of innocent civilian life during the course of this war. But we’re not going to be pushed around by protesters, and we’re not going to be told what to say by our opponents in parliament either.”
Wes Streeting
Calls For Ceasefire
In a vote on a similar SNP motion back in November, presented as an amendment to the king’s speech, 56 Labour MPs went against the party’s directive to support it. Eight frontbenchers, including Jess Phillips, resigned from their positions to back the motion.
Streeting acknowledged that Labour had faced significant criticism, particularly within the Muslim community, and more widely, for its stance on the issue.
He said, “I am not the only person in this country who has shed tears looking at images of the bodies of children and innocent civilians coming out of Gaza. So I understand why people are vocal in calling for a ceasefire.”
In a developing story, the UN Security Council is expected to vote on Tuesday, February 20, on an Arab-backed resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
The final draft of the resolution not only calls for a ceasefire but also reiterates the demand that both Israel and Hamas strictly adhere to international law, particularly regarding the protection of civilians. It also explicitly rejects the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, a major concern in the conflict.
Additionally, the draft demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken by Hamas during their surprise October 7 attacks in southern Israel. However, the US has signaled it will veto the upcoming vote.
READ ALSO: Home Office Faces Lawsuit For English Test Cheating Claims
