Keir Starmer marks first anniversary of attacks
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that “we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community” and reiterated his calls for a ceasefire as he marked the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
Sir Keir described October 7, 2023 as “the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust” and said that “collective grief has not diminished” in the year since, and reiterated his calls for a ceasefire.
In a statement marking the anniversary, the Prime Minister reflected on the killings, saying: “Men, women, children and babies killed, mutilated, and tortured by the terrorists of Hamas. Jewish people murdered whilst protecting their families, young people massacred at a music festival, people abducted from their homes.
“As a father, a husband, a son, a brother, meeting the families of those who lost their loved ones last week was unimaginable. Their grief and pain are ours, and it is shared in homes across the land. A year on, that collective grief has not diminished or waned.”
He said that “we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a country” and “never look the other way in the face of hate”.
Sir Keir also said that “we must also not look the other way as civilians bear the ongoing dire consequences of this conflict in the Middle East” as he reiterated his calls for ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon and “for the removal of all restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza”.
