UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday urged for a ceasefire in Gaza and called for restraint from all parties involved, noting that the year-long Israel-Hamas conflict has had a significant impact on community relations in Britain. 'The sparks light touchpapers in our own communities here at home,' Starmer wrote in the Sunday Times, reflecting on the anniversary of the Palestinian militant group's unprecedented October 7 attack against Israel, which ignited the war. 'Israel and the Middle East are not just inseparable from our nation's history. They have a deep relationship with our multicultural society,' Starmer emphasized, highlighting that 'millions have family ties to the region.'
Since the October 7 attack, Israel has subjected the Gaza Strip to relentless bombardment. In the last two weeks, the conflict has escalated with Israeli attacks in Lebanon targeting Hamas's fellow Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, as well as ballistic missiles fired by Iran on Israel. While Starmer affirmed that the UK would 'stand with Israel in the face of Iranian aggression,' he also warned that 'a better future will not be won by traumatising, orphaning and displacing another generation.' 'The anniversary of the October 7 attacks should remind us of the cost of political failure,' he added. 'No security will be found in greater destabilisation.'
The lead-up to the attack's anniversary has seen marches around the world, including in London, where a pro-Palestinian demonstration was largely peaceful but resulted in 15 arrests. Three arrests were made following tensions between the main march and counter-protesters. Denouncing the rise of 'vile hatred' against Jewish and Muslim communities in the UK over the past year, Starmer said: 'Our differences and diversity should bind us together more strongly, not drive us apart.' UK faith leaders also called on Sunday for the public to reject 'prejudice and hatred in all its forms' on the anniversary.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, and the chairman of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board Imam Qari Asim penned an open letter stating they 'stand united in our grief.' 'In these challenging times, we must also reject those who seek to divide us,' the joint letter said. 'Anti-Jewish hate and anti-Muslim hate have no place in the UK today.'
