Sir Keir Mark Starmer marked a “day of sorrow and grievance” one year after the 7 October attacks against Israel. He called for the “immediate, unconditional” release of the hostages still held in Gaza.
In his Commons speech, the Prime Minister praised the “dignity” and “determination” of the families who had been captured by Hamas.
He said about them: “Their suffering is as acute as it was last year.” They live it everyday.”
Hamas gunmen took 250 hostages and killed about 1,200 people when they launched a surprise attack on southern Israel. A British-Israeli female is among the 97 hostages who are still unaccounted for.
Sir Keir said that the 7 October attacks were “born of hate” and “targeted at not just individuals, but also at Jewish communities, their way of living and the state of Israel as the symbol of Jewish safety to the world”.
He paid tribute to the 15 British citizens who were killed in the initial raids and one other who died in captivity. A total of 97 unaccounted-for hostages remain.
Mandy Damari is a 28-year old British-Israeli woman.
Mandy, her mother, described earlier on Monday the “living hell” she felt not knowing what her daughter’s fate was and urged the British government do more to secure hostage release.
She said at an event in London, “How can she still be imprisoned after a year?”
Why isn’t everyone, especially Britain, fighting to secure her freedom? She’s a member of their family.”
David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, attended the same event. He said: “It’s a day for deep reflection and pain, thinking about the 7 October, the most horrific attack on the Jewish Community since the Holocaust.”
In response to the 7 October attacks, the Israeli government launched an invasion of Gaza to try to free the hostages as well as dismantle Hamas.
In the months following, hate crimes against Jews and Muslims increased in the UK amid protests that heightened tensions between communities.
During his Commons Statement on Monday, Sir Keir stated that his government “will stand with all communities in the UK against hatred of Jews, Muslims and other minorities”.
In the aftermath of the attack, the Prime Minister reflected on the victims of the conflict that has erupted in the Middle East.
Israel’s attacks on Gaza have resulted in the deaths of nearly 42,000 Palestinians, and the war has spread up to Israel’s northern border.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed force, which is, like Hamas in the UK, US, and European Union, proscribed as a terror organisation, began launching rockets against Israel almost daily in support of Hamas soon after the 7th October attacks.
In recent days, Israeli bombings have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon.
The prime minister said that: “Nobody here can imagine what it’s like to cower beneath the bodies of friends, hoping that a terrorist will not find you after dancing at a festival minutes before.”
“No one could imagine the destruction of their city, their homes, their hospitals, and businesses, along with their neighbours and families.
“It’s beyond our comprehension, and with that comes humility.”
Sir Keir said that the government will continue to push for an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza, and a diplomatic solution long-term which provides Israel with security alongside a Palestinian state.