Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Rmadiyeh, on October 7(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Keir Starmer urges Israel to show 'courage of restraint' as Middle East on brink of war

Keir Starmer said the anniversary of the October 7 attacks was a 'day of grief' and urged all sides to step back from the brink of all-out war in the Middle East

07 Oct 2024, 16:14 by Lizzy Buchan · The Mirror

Keir Starmer has called on Israel to show "courage of restraint" as he warned the Middle East "cannot endure another year" of conflict.

Speaking to the Commons on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks, the Prime Minister said his thoughts were with Jewish people in the UK and around the world. He said: "For so many the pain and horror of that day is as acute today as it was a year ago. They live it every day."

Mr Starmer paid tribute to the dignity and courage of the families of hostages taken during Hamas's surprise attack last year, when 1,200 people were killed in what is described as the worst attack on the Jewish community since the Holocaust.

But he said the anniversary was also a "day of grief" for the wider Middle East. He told MPs: "Over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, tens of thousands orphaned, almost two million displaced, facing disease, starvation, desperation, without proper healthcare or shelter. It is a living nightmare and it must end."

Keir Starmer told MPs the Middle East could not endure another year of horror( Image: PRU/AFP via Getty Images)

The PM urged leaders from all sides to step back from the brink, demanding immediate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. He condemned Iran for playing a "malign role" in the conflict through its support for Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In a sombre statement, Mr Starmer told MPs: "The region cannot endure another year of this. Civilians on all sides have suffered too much. All sides must now step back from the brink and find the courage of restraint."

Family and friends gather at the Nova festival memorial in Israel to mark the first anniversary since the October 7 attack by Hamas( Image: Getty Images)

But the PM rebuffed calls from MPs for an arms embargo on Israel, following a demand from French President Emmanuel Macron for an end to arms deliveries for use in Gaza. Responding to a question from MP Zarah Sultana, he said: "Banning all sales would mean none for defensive purposes. On the anniversary of October 7 and days after a huge attack by Iran into Israel, (it) would be the wrong position for this Government. I will not take it.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy (centre left) with members of the Jewish community, during a visit to South Tottenham Synagogue( Image: PA)

Earlier, Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited a north London synagogue where he paid tribute to the Jewish community.

"This is a painful day for the Jewish community across this country and across the diaspora," he said. "It is a day of deep reflection and pain thinking about October 7, the worst attack on the Jewish community since the Holocaust.

"And of course, thinking about the many hostages that are still held in Gaza and their loved ones and their pain. And particularly we think of Emily Damari, the British hostage, and her family have no word of her fate or how she is doing."