Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday delivered a “make or break” speech in London as he faced a growing revolt from MPs over the party’s position on the Israel-Hamas war.
The Labour leader has been warned his refusal to back a ceasefire in Gaza risks tearing the party apart.
In a speech at Chatham House, he tried to quell the anger by reiterating his calls for a “humanitarian pause” to allow desperately needed aid into Gaza and seeking to push focus onto a longer term peace plan.
He has rejected pleas from senior Labour politicians to demand a full ceasefire.
Sir Keir said: "Our current calls for pauses in the fighting for clear and specific humanitarian purposes and which must start immediately is right in practice as well as principle.
"In fact, it is at this moment, the only credible approach that has any chance of achieving what we all want to see in Gaza."
He added that aid supplies must be allowed to reach the Palestinian people and hospitals must be protected.
One Labour MP told the Standard the speech could be “make or break” for the leadership as some frontbenchers hinted they may resign the whip if they were unimpressed.
Shadow Justice Minister Alex Cunningham said this morning: “It’s heartbreaking to see ordinary people caught up in horrors in Israel and Palestine. There must be an immediate ceasefire to get vital aid to Palestinians, give the UN chance seek the release of Hamas-held hostages, and end the deadly attacks on Palestinian and Israeli people. “
So far more than a dozen shadow ministers are believed to have backed a ceasefire.
It follows Sadiq Khan calling for a ceasefire to prevent further killing and a “protracted conflict in the region”, along with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has written to constituents suggesting Israel may be guilty of “collective punishment” of “the innocent civilians of Gaza”.
More than a quarter of Labour MPs are now believed to have expressed their desire for a ceasefire in Gaza.
It comes after the party suspended Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald on Monday night for using the controversial phrase “between the river and the sea” in a pro-Palestine rally speech.
The phrase refers to the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean and has featured in a number of pro-Palestinian protests over the past weeks.
While the interpretation is disputed, Jewish groups have said it refers to the destruction of Israel itself.
In his speech at a demonstration on Saturday, Mr McDonald, a former shadow minister under Jeremy Corbyn, said: “We will not rest until we have justice. Until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea, can live in peaceful liberty.”
The move to suspend Mr McDonald was criticised by several Labour MPs, including former shadow chancellor John McDonnell who said “this isn’t just unjust it is absolutely nonsensical”.
Shadow minister Sir Chris Bryant today said people in his party were “being pulled in many different directions” over the war in the Middle East and Sir Keir’s speech would call for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process to be brought “back on track”.
Sir Chris has said his party is calling for a humanitarian “pause” rather than a ceasefire.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “How could you have a ceasefire with Hamas who have no intention of laying down their weapons and haven’t even said that they will return the hostages?”
Labour shadow minister Sir Chris Bryant has said his party is calling for a humanitarian “pause” rather than a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
The shadow minister added that Sir Keir would be laying out “how he thinks we can get the peace process back on track”.
