Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is under pressure after refusing to condemn outright the Hamas attacks on Israel that have resulted in hundreds of deaths, including civilians.
The conflict has Hamas militants storming settlements in southern Israel, killing and taking hostage both military personnel and civilians in an ambush attack. Corbyn said that "all attacks are wrong" and repeated his call for officials to end Israel's occupation of Palestine. He said that this was the fundamental background to the entire issue.
Jeremy Corbyn on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Corbyn said he does not support any attacks, which means he criticizes them all. But when the former Labour leader was asked during an interview, he stopped short of directly condemning the terrorist group, which he previously referred to as "friends," which are remarks that he later said he has come to regret.
The situation also comes on the opening day of Labour's annual conference in Liverpool, against a backdrop of fighting between Israeli military and Palestinian militant forces. In a statement on Saturday, Corbyn described the chaotic events in Israel as "deeply alarming," as per Independent.
The former Labour leader added that there needs to be an immediate ceasefire and urgent de-escalation of the conflict. Corbyn also claimed that ending Israel's occupation of Palestine is the only means of achieving a peaceful peace.
Corbyn argued that it is crucial to have a route out of this so-called "tragic cycle of violence." In response to the former Labour leader's statement, former Labour MP Ian Austin said it was "disgraceful." He reiterated that Hamas terrorists are killing innocent people in the streets, kidnapping civilians, and firing rockets indiscriminately at cities.
The sudden Israel-Palestinian conflict threatens to reignite old rows with the left wing of the Labour Party during its annual conference that will be held this week. Sir Keir Starmer said there is no justification for an "appalling" attack on Israel.
Addressing the Conflict
Despite some criticism, some praised Corbyn for putting Hamas' attack in the context of the long-standing history of conflict between Israel and Palestine. According to Yahoo News, it has seen decades of fighting and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced because of it.
Reports noted that up to 100 Israelis, including women and children, have been taken into Gaza by Hamas forces. This news follows distressing images and video footage that have spread across social media platforms, showing Israeli soldiers and civilians being marched away or bundled into vans by the militants.
On the other hand, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has argued that the Labour Party "stands with the people of Israel." His remarks came during a fringe event at the Labour Conference, where he said Israel has a right to self-defense against terrorism.
Lammy noted that any response should be "proportionate" and "within international law." Israel has conducted retaliatory air strikes that have killed at least 370 people in the Gaza Strip while leaving roughly 2,200 others injured, according to BBC.
