Labour Leader Struggles to Contain Criticism

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a major backlash from Muslim Labour MPs and councillors over his stance on Israel. Two Shadow Cabinet ministers are reportedly considering resigning after he refused to cave in to demands from Hamas.

Growing Party Crisis

Sir Keir has been dealing with a party crisis since his controversial comments two weeks ago, where he stated that Israel had the right to cut off water and electricity supplies to Gaza. This sparked anger within Labour and led to calls for a tougher stance on Israel.

Support for Humanitarian Pauses

Instead of demanding a ceasefire, Sir Keir has joined calls for humanitarian pauses to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip. He has backed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's new stance in supporting UN measures to facilitate aid delivery.

Meeting with Backbenchers

Sir Keir met with angry backbenchers to discuss their concerns. The meeting was described as "generally quite civilized" but firm. While everyone had a chance to express their views, it was acknowledged that Sir Keir is not yet fully supportive of a ceasefire.

Protest Resignations

Several Muslim councillors have already resigned in protest against Labour's position on the war. However, a shadow minister defended the party's stance, stating that it is difficult to have a ceasefire with a terrorist organization that is holding hostages and launching missiles.

Controversy over Mosque Visit

Sir Keir visited a mosque in Wales to ease community tensions, but the leaders of the mosque criticized him for misrepresenting the nature of the visit in his tweets. They claimed that his actions put the mosque and the wider Muslim community into disrepute.