Keir Starmer holds 'productive discussions' with Arab ambassadors over Israel-Gaza

Twenty ambassadors and officials attend gathering focused on the 'next steps'

Labour leader Keir Starmer. PA

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Labour leader Keir Starmer held “productive discussions” with Arab ambassadors in London to discuss the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The gathering, held earlier this week, focused on the “next steps”, according to a spokeswoman for Mr Starmer.

“It involved very productive discussions about the next steps we need to take to turn fighting into a political process for peace,” the spokeswoman said.

The meeting was chaired by Bahrain’s ambassador to the UK, Sheikh Fawaz Al Khalifa, and involved 20 regional ambassadors and officials.

They included the UAE ambassador to the UK Mansoor Abulhoul; Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian mission to the UK; and Hassan Aljomae, ​deputy ambassador of Saudi Arabia.

The meeting was also attended by representatives from other embassies, including Lebanon, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, Somalia, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Morocco and the Arab League.

Mr Starmer has refused to call for a ceasefire and sacked several shadow cabinet members who did vote for a halt in hostilities.

He has also come under heavy criticism for initially suggesting Israel had the right to cut off power and water in the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas’s attack.

He subsequently sought to clarify his position, arguing that he did not mean to back the siege on more than two million Palestinians and met the party’s Muslim MPs after acknowledging the distress caused by remarks.

In the immediate aftermath of his comments in late October, more than 150 Muslim Labour councillors came together to put pressure on the party’s leadership to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The fall-out has continued since, with a series of resignations by labour councillors across the country over the party's position.

Labour lost control of Norwich City Council overnight after four councillors and one county councillor quit the party. The group issued a statement citing “many reasons” for their resignation.

It said: "There are many reasons, but in essence we no longer consider the current national and local Labour Party matches the overriding principles that guide our work as Town Close councillors.”