Jeremy Corbyn has risked fresh fury by suggesting Israel’s ‘occupation’ is the root cause of the Hamas attacks.
The former Labour leader refused to single out the terrorist group for condemnation, saying he was against ‘all violence’.
In a bad-tempered exchange with journalists on the fringes of the party’s conference in Liverpool, Mr Corbyn said the way to end the ‘terrible situation’ was to ‘end the occupation of Palestine by Israel’.
The comments came as left-wing activists projected the Palestinian flag on the venue for the World Transformed festival – which takes place alongside the Labour gathering, but is not formally linked.
Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom, is expected to attend a reception at the conference tomorrow night alongside shadow foreign secretary David Lammy.
Mr Zomlot previously told CNN that ‘Israel knew that this was coming their way… It’s a consequence’.
Asked about his comment, shadow chancellor Ms Reeves told Sky News on Monday: ‘I’m very upset about those remarks. Israel, and the attacks on civilians, the festival goers, the children who have been taken hostage, it is completely unacceptable.
‘And Keir (Starmer), David, myself, the whole of the Labour Party stand by the people of Israel at this moment.’
Mr Corbyn sparked anger yesterday when he responded to slaughter of civilians and hostage-taking in Israel without condemning Hamas.
The MP is sitting as an independent after being removed from Labour’s parliamentary party over his response to antisemitism under his leadership, but remains a party member.
Jeremy Corbyn has risked fresh fury by suggesting Israel’s ‘occupation’ is the root cause of the Hamas attacks
The comments came as left-wing activists projected the Palestinian flag on the venue for the World Transformed festival – which takes place alongside the Labour gathering, but is not formally linked
He is not thought to have a pass for the main conference.
Mr Corbyn said he wants ‘peace, a ceasefire and a process that ends the Israeli occupation of Palestine’.
‘I don’t support any attacks, therefore I criticise them all,’ he said, after being repeatedly asked whether he would condemn Hamas.
He told ITV News that the ‘occupation of Palestine’ was ‘fundamentally the background to the whole issue’.
At an event at The World Transformed festival, which coincides with the Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said he was ‘working with people around the world to bring about peace’.
He added: ‘You don’t just condemn – as I do – any acts of violence, anywhere around the world. You look at the causes as well.’
On the current ‘terrible situation in Israel and Palestine’, he said: ‘The way to end that, I think, is to end the occupation of Palestine by Israel.’
Keir Starmer was quick to criticise the thousands of rockets launched towards Israel in a surprise attack by Hamas on land, sea and air as a ‘terrorist attack’.
‘Labour stands firmly in support of Israel’s right to defend itself, rescue hostages and protect its citizens,’ he said in a statement.
‘The indiscriminate attacks from Hamas
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