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Labour's Andy Burnham apologizes for response to Gaza violence
Andy Burnham has apologised, admitting Labour's initial reaction to Israel's Gaza operation was insufficient, and urged stronger sanctions against perpetrators of violence in Gaza.
Andy Burnham, a prominent figure in the UK Labour Party, has apologised for his party's initial response to Israel's attacks on Gaza. In a video message posted on X, Burnham said, "Many people feel that my party did not take the right stance at the start of Israel's military operation in Gaza, and I am sorry for that."
While acknowledging that the UK has taken steps such as recognizing the state of Palestine, imposing sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers, and restricting violent settlers, Burnham said the call for a ceasefire had been too slow. "Let's be honest: the UK was far too slow to call for a ceasefire, and now we must do more to strengthen our approach," he said.
Emphasizing that Israel continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza despite the ceasefire, and that settler violence and illegal settlement expansion persist in the occupied Palestinian territories, Burnham recalled that, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than a thousand people have been killed in Gaza since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire reached in October.
Calls for more sanctions
"That is why we must do more, including additional sanctions against those involved in violence in Gaza, as well as measures to ban trade with illegal settlements," Burnham said, without giving details on who should be sanctioned.
The Labour politician, who said more pressure should be put on the Israeli government, did not, unlike some party members, accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza. However, he stated that there is "increasing evidence of war crimes being committed," but that the final determination is a matter for international law.
Burnham also said that while the UK criticizes what happens in the Gaza Strip, it must also condemn Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack and the subsequent antisemitic violence in the UK.
Internal party criticism
The Labour Party under Keir Starmer had come under fierce criticism from some supporters for what they saw as a very weak response to Israel's devastating war on Gaza. The party resisted calls for an immediate ceasefire, which led particularly young supporters to drift away from the party towards the Greens.
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