An ex-British Army commander has fumed that the Government is "handing the victory to Hamas" due to "appeasement" of pro-Palestine protesters.
Some Labour MPs were preparing to vote on Wednesday for a Scottish National party motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the second time in three months.
However, the speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, decided to allow Labour to hold a vote on its own amendment, which calls for a ceasefire only in certain circumstances.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle has since apologised after Tory and SNP MPs walked out of the Commons in protest against him and Penny Mordaunt, the Commons leader, accused him of having “undermined the confidence” of the House.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle is the speaker in the House of Commons
PALarge crowds of protesters gathered outside Parliament on Wednesday urging MPs to vote for an immediate ceasefire as they debated the motion.
Chants of “ceasefire now” and “free Palestine” could be heard while people waved black, white, green and red flags and held up posters.
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Speaking to GB News ex-British Army commander Richard Kemp told GB News: "I think this sort of thing going on in the House of Commons is pointless in terms of any real effect it will have.
"Certainly Israel is not going to initiate an immediate ceasefire on the basis of a vote in the House of Commons and Hamas of course certainly won't take notice from that point of view.
Ex British Army Commander Richard Kemp said that it is "handing the victory to Hamas"
GB News
"What it does though is to encourage Hamas. Hamas want to see this sort of movement around the world. They want to see anti-Israel-motions. Effectively this is an anti-Israel motion.
"If parliament was calling on Hamas to ceasefire, to lay down its weapons, to end the bloodshed and to hand back the hostages, then that would be something else.
"But this sort of thing is purely encouraging. It's the US administration's drafting of the UN Security Council resolution.
"Calling for a ceasefire, although not an immediate ceasefire, and calling on Israel not to complete the destruction of Hamas in Rafah, while at the same time telling the world that the civilians in Rafah should not be allowed to leave Rafah. So it's really an impossible situation they're trying to put Israel in and all of this stuff.
He claimed that it is "designed simply to appease and to pander to the anti Israel pro Hamas electorates back in their countries"
GB News
"I think the vote in the Commons, the UN Security Council draft resolution, it's all designed simply to appease and to pander to the anti-Israel, pro-Hamas electorates back in their countries, in the US and the UK and other countries.
"It's very dangerous because as I said, it does encourage Hamas and it will if anything encourage them to hold on, to fight on.
"It will also endanger the Jewish community in the UK.
"These demonstrations, these protesters outside the House of Commons, they're designed for one thing, and that is to bully and intimidate the Jewish community in the UK."
