Labour has betrayed British Muslims over Gaza – that’s why I resigned from the party

‘To date neither Starmer nor anyone from his shadow cabinet have openly and loudly called for a ceasefire or for an end to Israel’s lethal use of force.’ Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

I am one of least 23 Labour councillors who have resigned from the party since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. At Oxford city council, where I now sit as an independent, eight of us have left. The reason I quit is because the leader of the Labour party, Keir Starmer, horrifyingly endorsed the collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza.

In an LBC interview on 11 October, pressed on whether Israel’s siege of Gaza – cutting off power and water – was appropriate, he said: “I think that Israel does have that right, it is an ongoing situation. Obviously, everything should be done within international law, but I don’t want to step away from the core principles that Israel has a right to defend herself.”