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Labour called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza on Tuesday after facing mounting pressure from its MPs and members.
The UK party issued its new position ahead of a vote on Wednesday in parliament on a motion from the Scottish National party calling for a ceasefire.
Labour has drafted its own amendment to the SNP motion that calls for an immediate ceasefire, dependent on certain conditions being met, which it will whip MPs to support.
The statement said that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah risked “catastrophic humanitarian consequences” and should not take place, calling instead for an “immediate stop to the fighting and a ceasefire that lasts and is observed by all sides”.
The government is in discussions about laying its own amendment on the motion, which is likely to call for a “humanitarian pause”, according to Tory insiders. It is not clear which of the amendments will be picked by the Speaker for a vote.
Labour’s pivot was thrashed out over the weekend between party leader Sir Keir Starmer, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow defence secretary John Healey at the Munich Security Conference, according to party insiders. It was approved by the shadow cabinet on Tuesday morning.
The party has been engulfed by an internal battle over its position on the war since the October 7 attacks by Hamas prompted military strikes by the Israeli military in Gaza, which have left close to 29,000 dead, according to Palestinian officials.
Starmer had held off calling for an “immediate” ceasefire in favour of demanding a “sustainable” one.
Initially he gave full backing to Israel as it embarked on its military retaliation. But Labour MPs and party members have been increasing pressure on the leadership to accept the need for an immediate ceasefire.
More than 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage in the October 7 attack on Israel, according to Israeli officials.
In November, 10 Labour frontbenchers were forced to resign while 46 other Labour MPs defied the leadership to vote in support of a previous SNP motion calling for a ceasefire.
The statement on Tuesday said “statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and not in the gift of any neighbour” and urged international partners to work together to establish a diplomatic process to deliver a two-state solution.
However, the amendment also called for Hamas to release and return all hostages it has held since October and said that Israel cannot be expected to stop fighting so long as Hamas “continues with violence”.
One Labour shadow cabinet member sought to explain the party’s change in position since November, insisting the situation on the ground in Gaza had shifted dramatically.
Diane Abbott, former shadow home secretary who has had the Labour whip suspended, said it was not clear that the party’s position had changed: “If Starmer really wanted a ceasefire he would table a simple amendment saying that. Instead he tables one full of weasel words.”
A party official indicated that if Labour’s amendment was not selected, it would not back the SNP motion, noting that it failed to mention striving for a two-state solution or the need to work alongside international partners.
On Tuesday, Lord David Cameron, foreign secretary, confirmed he had advised against the suspension or revocation of export licences for British arms sales to Israel.
He said in a letter to the chair of the foreign affairs committee, published online, that “following a thorough and detailed process of review, I decided on 12th December that there was not a clear risk that items would be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law”.
The foreign secretary added that all licences remained under review.
Following another period of hostilities in Gaza in 2014, when Cameron was prime minister, the UK announced it would suspend existing licences to Israel if violence resumed, warning it could not ensure export licence criteria would be met.
