LONDON — Andy Burnham, who is widely expected to be named Britain’s next prime minister before the end of the month, has spoken out about the need for the United Kingdom to take a stronger stance against the Israeli government regarding its conduct in Gaza, according to a report published Thursday by the Guardian.
In the interview, Burnham took aim at how current Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially handled Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023 following an attack on Israel carried out by Hamas-led gunmen.
“We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government … Yes, we have taken some important steps … But let’s be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach,” Burnham said.
Starmer had initially pushed back against calls from within his own party — including from Burnham, who was serving as a regional mayor at the time — to demand a ceasefire, opting instead to support a humanitarian pause in the fighting.
Starmer eventually did call for a ceasefire and has since spoken out against the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza. His government has also imposed sanctions on far-right Israeli cabinet ministers and formally extended recognition to a Palestinian state.
While a ceasefire reached last year brought the two-year conflict to a close, Israel’s military has continued conducting strikes in Gaza as part of the broader regional conflict involving Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, pointing to ongoing threats or fire from Hamas as justification.
Burnham indicated he wants to go further, stating: “We need to do more, which includes looking at further sanctions, both on those involved in the violence in Gaza but also looking at measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements.”
