Sir Keir Starmer faces the prospect of another Labour rebellion after the SNP confirmed it will try and force a fresh Commons vote on a Gaza ceasefire.
The nationalist party said it would use an opposition day debate to call on the Government to back an immediate end to the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: “The time for equivocating is over. Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer must back an immediate ceasefire now.
“Over 28,000 Palestinian children and civilians have already been killed – and vast swathes of Gaza have been obliterated, including hospitals and family homes.
“The UK Parliament cannot just sit on its hands and do nothing. International pressure is paramount if an immediate ceasefire is to happen – and the UK has a moral duty to do its part.”
It comes as the Labour leader is facing deep splits within his party over the Middle East conflict.
A similar vote in November saw 56 Labour MPs, including eight shadow ministers, revolt to back an SNP-led push for an immediate ceasefire.
Sir Keir, who is calling for a “sustainable” ceasefire, had ordered his MPs to abstain from the vote.
In the latest headache over the issue, Sir Keir was forced to ditch Labour’s Rochdale by-election candidate on Monday after it emerged he claimed Israel allowed Hamas’s October 7 massacre to happen as a pretext to invade Gaza.
Azhar Ali has apologised for the remarks recorded in a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party.
A second parliamentary candidate, Graham Jones, was suspended yesterday after audio appeared to show the former Labour MP use the words “f****** Israel” at the same meeting Mr Ali attended.
