Over 40 MPs now back the call for a cessation of hostilities as Momentum launches a tool to pressure Labour MPs for a ceasefire.

Over 40 MPs from eight parties are calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities to protect civilians in Gaza and Israel.

The MPs have backed a new parliamentary motion, EDM 1685: Protecting civilians in Gaza and Israel, laid by Richard Burgon MP, Secretary of the Socialist Campaign Group. The number of signatories is expected to rise.

The motion expresses its support for the call from leading humanitarian agencies – including Oxfam, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Medical Aid for Palestinians and Islamic Relief – for immediate action to prevent any more civilian loss of life.

It calls on the UK Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to urgently press all parties to agree to an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities, for the release of the Israeli hostages, an end to the total siege of Gaza and for unfettered access of lifesaving humanitarian aid, for international humanitarian law to be upheld and for civilians to be protected in accordance with those laws.

Richard Burgon MP said: “These are incredibly dark days for humanity, with so many lives already lost. Preventing the death of any more civilians must be our top priority. That means we need an immediate ceasefire. The UN General Secretary has called for this. It is crucial that political leaders across the world, including our own, back that call to avoid the loss of any more civilian lives.”

The full text of the EDM reads:

“This House utterly condemns the massacre of Israeli civilians and taking of hostages by Hamas; agrees with the United Nations Secretary-General that these horrific acts do not justify responding with the collective punishment of the Palestinian people; expresses its deep alarm at the Israeli military bombardment and total siege of Gaza and the resulting deaths and suffering; believes that the urgent priority must be to stop the deaths and suffering of any more civilians in Gaza and Israel; welcomes the joint statement from 12 leading aid agencies, including Oxfam, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Medical Aid for Palestinians and Islamic Relief, calling for the Government to use its influence to help protect civilians, to ensure adherence to international humanitarian law and to guarantee civilians have access to critical life-saving humanitarian support; and to this end supports their call for the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to urgently press all parties to agree to an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities, to ensure the immediate, unconditional release of the Israeli hostages, to end to the total siege of Gaza and allow for unfettered access of medical supplies, food, fuel electricity and water, to guarantee that international humanitarian law is upheld and that civilians are protected in accordance with those laws.”

The motion is in line with a statement from the UN General Secretary who today said: “I call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East to ease the epic human suffering.” The Trade Union Congress has also joined the call, as have over 600 writers and artists based in Britain, the US and the EU.

Meanwhile Momentum has today launched a lobbying tool to pressure Labour’s MPs and the Party leadership to back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as the Palestinian death toll approaches 3,000.

The tool, which is being sent out to tens of thousands of Labour members and supporters via email and social media, analyses Labour MPs’ commitment to an immediate ceasefire and offers a template to contact those who have failed to back one, including Keir Starmer and David Lammy.

The tool can be found at mtm.is/ceasefire. For those who have a Labour MP, the tool tells the user if that MP has backed a ceasefire. If they have, they can be lobbied directly using the tool. For those whose Labour MPs have backed a ceasefire, and those who don’t have a Labour MP, a template is offered to contact Keir Starmer and David Lammy.  

Labour leader Keir Starmer has faced mounting pressure in recent days as a series of Labour councillors, mostly Muslim, have quit the Party in protest at Starmer’s apparent backing of Israeli war crimes. In an LBC interview last week, Starmer backed Israel’s ‘right’ to withhold water, food, fuel and power from the 2.2 million Palestinian residents of Gaza – a war crime – for which he received stinging criticism from the Labour Muslim Network. He has also sought to silence any solidarity with Palestinians within the Party.

Following a slew of resignations and crisis meetings between Labour Council Leaders and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the leadership walked back their position, explicitly demanding Israel allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. Lammy’s first tweet directly calling on Israel to let in supplies was published just after the call.

However, at PMQs today and in the following Urgent Question about last night’s hospital strike, both Starmer and Lammy refused to join rising calls for a ceasefire, instead effectively supporting the continued bombardment of Gaza under the aegis of ‘Israel’s right to defend herself’.

Yesterday, dozens of academic experts in the field of international law criticised the Labour leadership in an open letter for failing to call out the Israeli war crimes of: using white phosphorus, as documented by Amnesty International; forced population transfer, as condemned by the Norwegian Refugee Council and the World Health Organisation; and collective punishment via the withholding of essential supplies.

A Momentum spokesperson said: “Israel’s war crimes have caused an intensifying humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, as recognised by the UN and WHO.

“The Conservative Government has effectively given a green light to Israeli war crimes. As an avowedly internationalist party, Labour must do better. Yet whilst we welcome Keir Starmer’s rolling back of previous, shameful support for denying Palestinian civilians access to food, water and power, the Labour leadership has failed to oppose other war crimes and has stood by as indiscriminate Israeli bombing has taken the lives of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including more than a thousand children, while up to a million have been forcibly displaced. Even now, the Labour leadership refuses to back a ceasefire.

“As Labour members and councillors across the country make known their deep discomfort with the leadership’s stance, we call on every Labour MP: speak up now for an immediate ceasefire to end the bloodshed. Every minute counts.”

In a tweet today, Zarah Sultana MP said: “Saying ‘Israel should follow international law’ but refusing to condemn Israel for blatantly violating international law isn’t just hollow. It’s an insult to the Palestinian people indiscriminately killed in Israel’s brutal bombardment of Gaza.”

Further mass demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinian people’s plight are planned for this weekend, including a major London protest on Saturday at 12pm.

Main image: c/o Labour Hub