Labour Party Leader and Shadow Cabinet Members Urge Against Israeli Offensive in Rafah, Warn of Catastrophic Consequences for Palestinian Civilians
The UK's Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, urged against an Israeli offensive in the Gazan city of Rafah on Monday.
With over a million Palestinian civilians in the area, Starmer called for an immediate ceasefire, release of hostages, and unhindered aid delivery into Gaza.
The Israeli military had previously asked civilians to evacuate ahead of a planned operation.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced plans for a major military operation in Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip, in the near future.
This news was criticized by British politicians, including Labor Party leader Keir Starmer, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Shadow International Development Secretary Lisa Nandy.
They expressed concern that such an operation would result in catastrophic consequences for the estimated 34,700 Palestinians who have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began last October, and warned that many more lives could be at risk in Rafah, where people are already trapped with no other place to go.