UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during a speech in Parliament on Monday, stressing the urgent need for humanitarian aid and the return of hostages, according to Anadolu Agency.

“I’ve spoken to the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority,” Starmer said. “I’ve been clear that I fully support Israel’s right to security and the desperate need to see the hostages returned. And I’ve also been clear that the situation in Gaza is intolerable and that the world will not look away as innocent civilians, including women and children, continue to face death, disease, and displacement.”

Starmer emphasized that the UK’s policy is to pursue a ceasefire as the only viable solution to the crisis.

“It cannot go on. We need an immediate ceasefire: hostages out, aid in, a huge scale-up of humanitarian assistance. That is the policy of this government,” he declared.

In addition to calling for a ceasefire, Starmer highlighted the resumption of British funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). He noted that this diplomatic step was one of the first actions taken by the newly elected Labour government.

Addressing the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) recent opinion, Starmer affirmed the government’s stance against the expansion of illegal settlements and called for a renewed commitment to a two-state solution.

“We call on all sides to recommit to stability, peace, and normalization of a two-state solution: a recognized Palestinian state and the right of the Palestinian people alongside a safe and secure Israel,” he concluded.