Labour could review arms sales to Israel if they win the general election

The Labour leader has said that if they win the general election then they could review UK arms sales to Israel.

Sir Keir Starmer has received more than 100 calls to revoke export licences to Israel from artists and celebrities.

There are concerns that the UK arms export licences could be breaching humanitarian law which comes as more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes by Israel in Gaza.

The Labour leader has said that his top “priority is to ensure we get a ceasefire” and they have a “duty” to resolve the conflict.

Sir Keir was answering questions at a campaign event, he said, “It is for the Government obviously to review the licences. They do it one by one.

“They have got legal advice. We’ve been pressing them to disclose that legal advice. And I still press them to disclose that legal advice.

“Obviously, if we’re privileged to come in to power, we’ll be able to see that advice or commission our own.

“But look, I will just add this, that the Rafah offensive should not go ahead. And that I think our Government should follow the US lead on this in relation to arms sales and review the licences to see whether any of them would be or are being used in the Rafah offensive.”

Sir Keir continued, “The best thing we can do for both sides, for everybody concerned is to press for that ceasefire immediately, straight away. That’s been our position for weeks and weeks and weeks and months.

“We will join with other countries to that end if we get the opportunity to do so and I think there’s a lot of common ground here with other people, who I know are deeply concerned about the issue in Gaza and I’m not surprised.

“But the first and most fundamental thing is getting that ceasefire, ensuring we can get hostages out – I shudder to think what state they will be in – to make sure we can get humanitarian aid in, desperately needed and has been for a long time, an absolute catastrophe.

“And then that duty we will have if we come into power to play our full part in resolving the conflict in the Middle East for the long-term and that can only happen if we work with our allies, if we play our part on the world stage and clear the path for a two-state solution – I’m not going to pretend that’s going to be easy, I’m not going to pretend this isn’t a very difficult starting point but that has to be, will be, the only way forward.”