Scotland, Wales and N Ireland party leaders unite to criticise Starmer over Israel-Gaza stance

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Party leaders successful the UK's devolved nations person called connected Sir Keir Starmer to enforce contiguous sanctions connected Israel and said waiting until September to recognise a Palestinian authorities is "far excessively late".

The leaders and elder politicians from parties successful Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales said they are "united successful our heavy interest and absorption to your government's ongoing enactment for the actions of the Israeli authorities successful Gaza".

In a missive sent to Sir Keir connected Monday, they urged him to callback parliament truthful MPs could ballot to enforce "immediate sanctions" connected Israel and to "immediately extremity each arms sales" to the country.

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Claire Hanna, SDLP leader, Sinn Fein's vice president Michelle O'Neill, Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster person and Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru's person successful Wales, are among the politicians to person signed the letter, successful an antithetic associated agreement.

 PA

Image: Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill signed the letter. Pic: PA

They besides called connected the PM to enactment a ceasefire and "meaningful diplomatic intervention" to support civilians and unafraid a just, lasting peace, and to backmost an independent, planetary probe into alleged warfare crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity successful Gaza.

The radical of leaders urged him to usage the UK's diplomatic power to property for the "unimpeded" transportation of food, water, medicine and humanitarian assistance to the radical of Gaza.

They called Hamas' sidesplitting of astir 1,200 radical successful Israel and taking much than 250 hostages connected 7 October 2023 "indefensible" and said they enactment each "legitimate diplomatic" efforts to unafraid their harmless and unconditional return.

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Image: The SNP's Westminster person Stephen Flynn besides signed the letter. Pic: PA

However, they criticised Sir Keir for saying his authorities volition recognise Palestine arsenic a authorities successful September, unless Israel takes "substantive steps to extremity the appalling concern successful Gaza".

"Given the urgency of the crisis, this is acold excessively late," they wrote.

"Every time of hold means much children starve, much families are torn apart, and much lives are lost.

"You indispensable enactment now. The UK cannot beryllium complicit successful prolonging this tragedy."

 @columeastwood/X

Image: Pic: @columeastwood/X

The radical said arsenic a signatory to the Genocide Convention, the UK has a binding work to forestall acts that whitethorn magnitude to genocide and guarantee accountability.

They warned that continued "political, diplomatic and subject support" to a authorities accused of committing specified acts risks placing the UK successful breach of its planetary ineligible duties.

The politicians "unequivocally" condemned the caller sidesplitting of Al Jazeera journalists successful Gaza.

They besides criticised the government's attempts to "restrict, criminalise oregon delegitimise" peaceful protestation against authorities argumentation successful Gaza, aft hundreds of radical supporting the precocious proscribed radical Palestine Action were arrested earlier successful August.

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Israel indispensable person 'security control' to extremity Gaza war

Other signatories of the missive are:

Matthew O'Toole, SDLP absorption person successful the NI Assembly
Naomi Long, Northern Ireland's Alliance Party leader
Gerry Carroll, Northern Ireland's People Before Profit enactment leader
Stuart McMillan, convener of the Holyrood SNP Group
Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Scottish Greens
Alistair Carmichael, Scottish Lib Dems
Christine Jardine, Scottish Lib Dems

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