Labour secures Immediate Ceasefire support in parliamentary vote

Yesterday evening, Labour moved a motion demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, mirroring calls from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, alongside the release of hostages and the supply of aid.

The humanitarian crisis engulfing the nation has led to the deaths of around 30,000, including many children. As civilians were displaced to the south, Rafah is now home to 1.5m people, 600,000 of whom are children. With nowhere to escape, and Israel looking to expand the offensive, it presents an immediate and grave threat to innocent civilians at a scale not yet seen.

We must demand the same value of life for every child. No if’s, no buts, the UK must not support the offensive into Rafah.

The motion also called for the recognition of a Palestinian state as a foundation of a lasting two state solution, an end the illegal settler expansion violence in the West Bank and urges Israel to comply with the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures.

The Tory government, who sought to water down the demand and push back a ceasefire, eventually withdrew its amendment allowing Labours motion to go through unanimously, replacing the much weaker proposal submitted by the SNP, and ensuring for the first time the UK parliament spoke with one voice in demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Labour’s full motion agreed by the UK Parliament reads.

“believes that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah risks catastrophic humanitarian consequences and therefore must not take place; notes the intolerable loss of Palestinian life, the majority being women and children; condemns the terrorism of Hamas who continue to hold hostages; supports 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, noting that Israel cannot be expected to cease fighting if Hamas continues with violence and that Israelis have the right to the assurance that the horror of 7 October 2023 cannot happen again; therefore supports diplomatic mediation efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire; demands that rapid and unimpeded humanitarian relief is provided in Gaza; further demands an end to settlement expansion and violence; urges Israel to comply with the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures; calls for the UN Security Council to meet urgently; and urges all international partners to work together to establish a diplomatic process to deliver the peace of a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state, including working with international partners to recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to rather than outcome of that process, because statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and not in the gift of any neighbour.”