British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been slammed over a statement welcoming the ceasefire deal in Gaza, which recalled the “massacre of the Jewish people” while saying that Palestinians only “lost their lives” in Israel’s latest onslaught on the besieged enclave.
In his statement, Starmer described the ceasefire as “long-overdue” after months of “devastating bloodshed” and denounced Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel as “the deadliest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust”, condemning the Palestinian group as “brutal terrorists”.
He expressed grief over the lives lost in the conflict, particularly focusing on the Israeli victims of Hamas attacks, including the British citizens killed.
However, critics and activists slammed his remarks as one-sided, arguing that his rhetoric ignored the scale of Palestinian suffering and failed to acknowledge the broader context of the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory.
They said that Starmer minimised Israeli actions in Gaza, which have killed over 46,000 people and injured more than 109,000 more.
The mother of Tom Hurndall the British journalist killed by Israeli forces while rescuing Palestinian children, branded the statement as “desolate” and accused Starmer of showing no compassion for the “decades of Palestinian suffering”.
Jocelyn Hurndall said: “What a desolate statement from our PM, an out-and-out Zionist, with zilch compassion for decades of Palestinian suffering. We shouldn’t dwell on this Godforsaken example of leadership. It could have been a moment to rise up and show a deeper, heartfelt message.”
Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy at Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), also took issue with Starmer’s words, arguing that the statement exemplified a stark double standard in how Israeli suffering and Palestinian suffering were framed.
Talbot accused the PM of downplaying Palestinian losses while offering a detailed account of Israeli victims, thereby contributing to a narrative that absolves Israel of responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He said: “A lesson in racism. Israelis suffer brutality and massacres at the hands of a named culprit. Palestinian suffering isn’t even acknowledged, no mourning extended to them, their oppressor mysterious and unnamed.”
A lesson in racism.
Israelis suffer brutality and massacres at the hands of a named culprit. Palestinian suffering isn’t even acknowledged, no mourning extended to them, their oppressor mysterious and unnamed. https://t.co/9oOXVwXiBk
— Rohan Talbot (@rohantalbot) January 15, 2025
Labour MP Zarah Sultana also slammed Starmer for not addressing the role of British arms sales to Israel, which she and others argue have contributed to the violence in Gaza.
These concerns were echoed by the parliamentary Independent Alliance, which includes prominent figures like former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The group called Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide” and urged the British government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in its investigation of war crimes.
In a joint statement, 18 British NGOs, including Oxfam and Amnesty International UK, called for an immediate suspension of arms transfers to Israel.
They warned that the ceasefire could be used as a smokescreen for continued Israeli occupation and oppression, urging the UK to press for an end to the blockade on Gaza and meaningful accountability for the human rights violations committed during the conflict.
During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Starmer pledged to sanction far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have a history of violent incitement against Palestinians.
Smotrich previously said that starving two million people in Gaza might be justified, while Ben Gvir called settlers who murdered a 19-year-old Palestinian in the occupied West Bank “heroes”.
On Thursday, Foreign Minister David Lammy paid tribute to the British Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the over 46,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza.
In a statement to the House of Commons, he said on the ceasefire deal: “It is critical that there is final approval of this agreement. As the Israeli Cabinet meets, I urge them to back this deal.
“Now is not the time for any backtracking. Both sides must implement each phase of the deal in full and on time.”
The New Arab has contacted Downing Street for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
