WATCH: Labour Leader Keir Starmer Mobbed By Ceasefire Protesters After Speech

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was mobbed by a crowd of ceasefire protestors outside Chatham House, where he delivered a speech reiterating his position in relation to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Demonstrators jeered and called Starmer a “war monger” as police officers held the crowd back to allow the politician to escape in a car.

Delivering his speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, a foreign policy think tank, Starmer argued that a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas might inadvertently lead to more violence.

Starmer emphasised his advocacy for temporary humanitarian pauses, which would enable Palestinians to escape the conflict zones and facilitate the distribution of aid. However, Starmer resisted calling for a long-term ceasefire.

“While I understand calls for a ceasefire at this stage, I do not believe that it is the correct position now,” he stated. He continued to explain that, in his view, an immediate ceasefire might embolden Hamas to initiate future attacks on Israel and hinder efforts to bring back Israeli hostages taken during the October 7th attack.

Starmer is seeking to quell growing internal party discord over his stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict, grappling with a shadow cabinet revolt and escalating party member backlash.