The cycle grinds on. Another night, another round of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Six dead, the Ministry of Health there reports. Among them, a cameraman for Al Jazeera. His name: Ali al-Attar. His crime: filming the aftermath of the previous strikes.
Number 10, predictably, is doing its two-step. A spokesman says they are “deeply concerned” and urge “de-escalation on all sides.” No condemnation of Israel. Just the usual call for “restraint.” The Foreign Office is dusting off its standard talking points. Sources tell me there is little appetite for tougher action. The thinking in Whitehall: America won’t rein in Netanyahu, so why jeopardise a key intelligence relationship?
But let me be blunt. This is not a story about a single tragic death. It is a story about a failed policy. The UK has been calling for a ceasefire for weeks. The US has vetoed three UN resolutions. Israel has ignored every plea. And yet, the British government continues to sell arms to Israel. Licences worth hundreds of millions. Check the export figures.
Inside the Labour Party, the tension is palpable. Keir Starmer is walking a tightrope. The Jewish Labour Movement backs Israel’s right to defend itself. But the left flank, the Momentum crowd, they are seething. They want a tougher line, maybe even sanctions. A shadow cabinet minister told me, “We can’t keep pretending this is sustainable. The base is hemorrhaging support.” Starmer’s team knows this. But they also know the Tories will brand them as antisemitic if they step out of line. It’s a trap, and they are stuck in it.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the bodies pile up. The Al Jazeera cameraman, al-Attar, was 43. He had worked for the network for a decade. He leaves a wife and two children. The other five were civilians, according to Palestinian authorities. The IDF says they were targeting a militant cell. An investigation? Unlikely.
The polling data is clear. British public opinion is shifting. According to a recent YouGov survey, 52% now say Israel’s actions in Gaza are unjustified, up from 32% in October. The government is out of step with the country. But in Westminster, the lobby is full of whispers. The grey men in the Foreign Office believe Israel is a vital ally. They see this as a temporary flare-up. They are wrong.
This is not a temporary flare-up. This is a sustained campaign of collective punishment. And every time Whitehall issues a toothless statement, it gives cover for the next round of strikes.
The phone lines are humming. Backbenchers are drafting amendments. SNP MPs are demanding a parliamentary debate. The Speaker will likely grant one. But nothing will change. The government will win the vote. The statement will be filed. And tomorrow, there will be another dead journalist, another dead child, another call for de-escalation.
This afternoon, Downing Street will release a fuller response. I am told it will mention the word “disproportionate” but stop short of any tangible action. Expect headlines like “UK urges restraint” while the real story is the UK’s complicity through inaction.
Keep an eye on the Liberal Democrats. They sense an opening. Ed Davey is planning to use his PMQs slot to push for an arms embargo. It won’t succeed. But it will force Starmer to choose a side.
The game goes on. The dead pile up. And the lobby watches, taking notes.
