There has been some confusion, as an article in The Independent seems to have blamed Jeremy Corbyn for the current Labour Party’s lack of action against Israel.
Diplomatic delegation
It comes as the Israeli army has confirmed its troops “fired warning shots” after a diplomatic delegation in the West Bank “deviated” from an approved route.
The Palestinian Authority said earlier that a group of regional, European and Western diplomats had gathered to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the delegation went into “an area where it was prohibited from staying”.
It said troops “fired warning shots”, and that there was no damage or casualties reported.
The IDF’s statement says officers from the unit “will soon hold personal conversations with the diplomats” and update them on the findings of the investigation looking into the matter.
It says the IDF “regrets the inconvenience caused”.
Corbyn
This is what Corbyn has been up to regarding the Gaza conflict, he wrote: “It’s official. I will be introducing a Bill for an independent public inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israel’s assault on Gaza. The government must decide: will it support this inquiry, or will it block our efforts to establish the truth?”
He also asked the Foreign Secretary: ‘what exactly are British air bases being used for during the genocide in Gaza? He refused to answer.’
What has UK done?
The UK has announced £4m of new humanitarian support for Gaza.
The government says the package will cover essential medicines and medical supplies for up to 32,000 people, safe drinking water for up to 60,000 people and food parcels for up to 14,000 people.
The money is to be given to the British Red Cross to deliver humanitarian relief in Gaza through its partner, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Corbyn’s fault?
In an article titled “Why Starmer’s government has waited until now to take action on Israel,” political editor David Maddox explains why action wasn’t taken sooner.
He writes: “In reality, Labour under Sir Keir Starmer has been held back by a sense of shame.
“A visible reminder of this came when former leader Jeremy Corbyn got to his feet to challenge Lammy. Under Corbyn’s leadership, Labour became so immersed in antisemitism and so marginalised the Jewish community that the party has had to continue working hard to restore its reputation.”
In response, Simon Maginn wrote: “The Independent’s Political Editor @DavidPBMaddox claims Corbyn’s Labour Party became ‘immersed in antisemitism’, which he says explains why Starmer has refused to take action about Israel. It would be funny were it not such a profoundly sinister piece of propaganda.”
Related: Corbyn responds as UN warns 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in next 48 hours
