Keir Starmer mobbed by pro-Palestinian crowd as he shuns Israel-Gaza ceasefire

Sir Keir Starmer has been mobbed by pro-Palestinian protesters after he gave a speech rejecting calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and insisted that Labour was united in its response to the crisis.

Dozens of protesters shouted at the opposition leader as he left Chatham House in London, including chants of “war criminal” and “shame”. Police were forced to intervene as he was ushered into the back of his car. Protesters then ran at the vehicle carrying the Labour leader and drummed on the window.

The incident happened after Starmer backed calls for a “humanitarian pause” to Israeli operations to allow aid to enter Gaza from Egypt during a speech in response to the crisis.

Sir Keir Starmer used his speech in Chatham House to reject a ceasefire, despite concerns that Labour is alienating Muslim supporters by backing Israel’s right to attack Hamas

STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA

But he warned that, while he understood the position