Starmer Resists Commons Demands to Sanction Netanyahu After Gaza Deaths

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was pressed in the House of Commons to impose direct sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after fresh reports of civilian deaths in Gaza. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and Labour backbencher Imran Hussain cited the killing of at least 20 Palestinians in a crush at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation food-distribution site and argued that the UK should match the scale of sanctions it has levied against Russia for its war in Ukraine. Starmer said he was "appalled" by the latest fatalities and reiterated his call for an immediate cease-fire, the release of remaining Israeli hostages and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid. While insisting that incidents involving civilian casualties "must be fully and transparently investigated," he stopped short of committing to sanctions on Netanyahu, instead stressing the need for measures that "properly protect civilians." Earlier, Davey also asked the prime minister to respond to a new Board of Deputies report containing 10 recommendations for tackling antisemitism in the UK. Starmer pledged to study the document and said, "We must fight antisemitism wherever we find it." Parliament now enters its summer recess, leaving the question of potential sanctions unresolved.