Andy Burnham, who is expected to be named as Britain's new prime minister later this month, wants to exert more pressure on the Israeli government over its genocidal actions in Gaza, the Guardian reported on Thursday.
In an interview with the newspaper, Burnham was critical of how the current Prime Minister Keir Starmer had initially reacted to Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
"We've got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government ... Yes, we have taken some important steps ... But let's be honest, the U.K. was too slow to call for a cease-fire. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach," he said.
Starmer initially resisted calls from within his party, including from Burnham, who was a regional mayor at the time, to demand a cease-fire, instead backing a humanitarian pause in the fighting.
He later called for a cease-fire and has since criticized the Israeli government's atrocities in Gaza. His government has imposed sanctions against far-right Israeli cabinet ministers and formally recognized a Palestinian state.
Although a cease-fire last year brought the two-year war to an end, Israel's military has continued to carry out strikes in Gaza, alongside its attacks on Iran and Lebanon.
"We need to do more, which includes looking at further sanctions, both on those involved in the violence in Gaza but also looking at measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements,” Burnham said.
Israel has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel's devastating air and ground campaign has displaced nearly the territory's entire population of about 2 million people, most of whom now live in tents or damaged buildings along a narrow coastal strip.
Burnham is the strong favorite to replace Starmer, who announced his resignation last month.
Burnham won a special election for a seat in Parliament on June 18 and was sworn in as a lawmaker on June 22.
He is so far the only contender in the Labour Party leadership contest. If no one challenges him, he will become prime minister by July 20.
