Keir Starmer Says Middle East Must "Step Back From The Brink" On 7 October Anniversary
Keir Starmer makes a statement on the crisis in the Middle East (parliament.tv)
3 min read
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged all sides in the Middle East to "step back from the brink" and said there is no "military solution" to unrest in the region.
Speaking in the House of Commons on the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, Starmer said the region could not endure "another year" of war as the UK and its western allies brace for a possible escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran.
"Make no mistake, the region cannot endure another year of this," he told MPs on Monday.
"Civillians on all sides have suffered too much. All sides must now step back from the brink and find the courage of restraint."
He added: "There is no military solution to these challenges, so we must renew our diplomatic effort, and together with my right honourable friend the foreign secretary [David Lammy], I've had discussions with the leaders of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, the G7 and the EU and made the case at the United Nations of political solutions to end the fighting."
Starmer renistated the Government's call for the immediate release of all the hostages in Gaza, as well as ceasefires between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Lebanon.
One year ago the terrorist group Hamas seized 235 hostages and killed 1,200 people in an attack on Israel. More than 40,000 Palestianians have died in the Israeli assault on Gaza that has followed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry controlled by Hamas.
Starmer shared a story shared by Mandy Damari, whose daughter had Emily remains kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza. He said that Monday was a "day of grief" for the wider region as "we look back on a year of conflict and suffering, the human toll amongst innocent civilians in Gaza is truly devastating".
"It is a living nightmare, and it must end," he said.
"We stand with all innocent victims in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and beyond, and we stand with all communities here in the UK against hatred of Jews or Muslims, because any attack on a minority is an attack on our proud values of tolerance and respect, and we will not stand for it."
The Prime Miniser added that "nobody" within the Commons can "truly imagine" what it felt like for Israeli citizens on 7 October hiding under dead bodies to protect themselves from terrorists.
"Nobody in this house can truly imagine seeing a city your homes, your schools, your hospitals, your businesses obliterated with your neighbors and families buried underneath.
"It is beyond our comprehension, and with that should come a humility. It is hard even to understand the full depth of this pain, but what we can do is remember. What we can do is respect and listen to the voice."
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