London: Andy Burnham, who is expected to become Britain's next Prime Minister, has acknowledged that the Labour Party made major mistakes in its response to Israel's military actions in Gaza, promising a significant shift in policy under his leadership.
In an interview with The Guardian, Burnham admitted that Labour's initial stance on Gaza had disappointed many people and apologised for the party's handling of the issue. He said Britain had been too slow in calling for a ceasefire and pledged to adopt a more forceful approach by increasing pressure on the Israeli government over the situation in Gaza.
Burnham said his leadership would mark a more active and decisive policy than that pursued under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He also pledged stronger international measures against the Israeli government, including additional sanctions against those involved in the military actions in Gaza and examining a ban on trade involving products from what he described as illegal settlements in the West Bank.
He said the large-scale destruction and humanitarian suffering in Gaza had deeply affected him and argued that growing evidence pointed to violations of international law, making scrutiny by international courts essential. Burnham also maintained that criticism of Israel's actions should not be equated with support for rising antisemitism in Britain, describing it instead as a principled position.
Following Keir Starmer's departure from office, Burnham is widely expected to assume the Labour Party leadership and subsequently become Prime Minister. His remarks signal an effort to adopt a more progressive position on Gaza in response to criticism within the party and growing public anger over the conflict.