Britain’s main opposition leader Keir Starmer has sought to defuse an internal row about his stance on Israel’s war with Hamas, after he refused to call for a permanent ceasefire, according to AFP.

Starmer, 61, described Hamas’s attack, which Israel says killed some 1,400 people, as “terrorism on a scale and brutality that few countries have ever experienced”.

“That must drive our response to these events, as must the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which again plays out on a previously unimaginable scale,” he said in a speech in central London.

Opinion

Editorial

Shifting climate tone
Updated 08 May, 2026

Shifting climate tone

Our financial system is geared towards short-term, risk-averse lending, while climate adaptation and green infrastructure require patient, long-term capital.
Honour and impunity
08 May, 2026

Honour and impunity

THE Sindh Assembly’s discussion on karo-kari this week reminds us of the enduring nature of ‘honour’ killings...
No real change
08 May, 2026

No real change

THE Indian sports ministry’s move to allow Pakistani players and teams to participate in multilateral events ...
A breakthrough?
07 May, 2026

A breakthrough?

The whole world would welcome an end to this pointless war.
Missed opportunity
07 May, 2026

Missed opportunity

A BIG opportunity to industrialise Pakistan has just passed us by. This has been reconfirmed by the investment...
Punishing dissent
07 May, 2026

Punishing dissent

THE Sindh government’s treatment of the Aurat March this week was a disgraceful assault on democratic rights. What...