Keir Starmer set to face biggest rebellion of leadership

READ MORE: Labour in bid to see off ceasefire rebellion

Last night, Labour moved to try and see off the revolt by tabling their own amendment, which would “reaffirm” the party’s position on the conflict.

While it will criticise Israel’s conduct and the lack of aid getting into Gaza, it will stop short of calling for a ceasefire, arguing instead for humanitarian pauses.

The SNP amendment — which is also backed by MPs from other parties and which is likely, though not guaranteed, to be selected by the Speaker — will ask the Commons to vote for the government to “join with the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire”.

Labour MPs will be expected to abstain.

However, it's thought at least 18 members of Labour's frontbench could back the SNP motion.

During a debate in the Commons on Tuesday, Labour shadow minister Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi appeared to suggest that humanitarian pauses alone would not address a “grave humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Gaza”, describing them as only a “first step”.

Last week, Imran Hussain, quit as shadow minister for the new deal for working people to be able to “strongly advocate” for a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, writing in Tribune magazine, former Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard said his colleagues in Westminster needed to “search their consciences and vote for a ceasefire in Gaza.”

He described it as “the biggest decision for Parliamentarians since Iraq".

He added: “To support the call is not an act of protest but the exercise of power. To support the call is not to side with the Scottish National Party either, but to side with humanity, with the people whose homes, hospitals, schools and refugee camps are being bombed, and with the United Nations and the humanitarian agencies who are all demanding it.”

However, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, Dame Jackie Baillie claimed the SNP motion was “game playing.”

“You cannot watch premature babies dying in hospitals, because there's no electricity to power incubators, and then start the kind of game playing that the SNP are engaged in,” she told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland.

READ MORE: Baillie accuses SNP of 'game playing' over Palestine ceasefire vote

Speaking to the BBC's PM, Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Secretary for International Development, was asked if her frontbench colleagues would be sacked for backing the SNP motion.

She said: "Well, whipping decisions are obviously a matter for the chief whip and I don't think he or my colleagues would take kindly to me making them live on the radio.

"But what I would say is that we've been very clear that whilst we all want to see an end to the violence as quickly as possible, we are also clear, having spent time in the region in the last couple of weeks and worked very closely with partners across the board, that the only viable prospect as the UN humanitarian coordinator has said, is currently to extend humanitarian pauses to get aid in, to get the hostages out."

In an open letter to MPs, Mr Flynn urged them to “show moral leadership.”

He said not voting for a ceasefire would be “disregarding international law, condoning collective punishment and giving the green light to the continued bombardment of Gaza, which has seen thousands of innocent children and civilians killed."

He pointed out that a ceasefire was now backed by the French President and the former foreign secretary David Miliband.

"People understand that the conflict in the Middle East is full of complexity. But amidst all that complexity, they also recognise a very human truth.

“People know that what we are all watching in Gaza is wrong and they want their MPs to do the right thing, show moral leadership and press for an immediate ceasefire.

"This is about upholding our values and I hope you will join us in doing the right thing on Wednesday by voting for an immediate ceasefire.”