KEIR Starmer has been slammed for failing to bring up Gaza once at PMQs on Wednesday afternoon.
Instead, the Labour leader challenged Rishi Sunak on a Conservative by-election candidate who had told jobless parents who could not feed their children to “f*** off”.
Writing on Twitter/X, SNP MP Pete Wishart said: “Not one mention of Israel/Gaza from the be-knighted one. Imagine a Labour leader of the opposition running away from something as all-consuming as that.”
Elsewhere, MP Gavin Newlands also reacted with outrage, saying: “Dearie me. Yes, he’s made a mess on dealing with the #Gaza issue, and yes, his incredible line that he was answering a different question has made things more difficult, but for Sir Keir to run away from this critical issue and not use any of his six #PMQs on it is just cowardice.”
Mhairi Black, who was standing in for Stephen Flynn at PMQs, told the PM a ceasefire could be the “only way” to prevent the conflict from engulfing the Middle East.
Sunak was warned failing to call for this risked “pouring petrol on a fire in a place that only requires a spark to ignite”.
Meanwhile, writing on Twitter/X, Flynn said: "Starmer shying away from even mentioning the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"Six questions and not a word. No condemnation of collective punishment and no calls for a ceasefire. Cowardice."
It comes amid reports Starmer has arranged a meeting with Labour Muslim MPs as he continues efforts to allay a growing backlash over his position on Israel and Gaza.
The Labour leader recently acknowledged he had caused “distress” with remarks made to LBC where he suggested Israel has the “right” to cut off power and water from Gaza.
He clarified his position arguing that he did not mean to back the siege on more than two million Palestinians.
