A group of Labour councillors, including the Burnley Council leader Afrasiab Anwar, resigned from the Labour Party due to disagreements with party leader Sir Keir Starmer's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
These councillors opposed the Labour leadership's decision not to push for a ceasefire after a series of attacks by Hamas on October 7th led to a significant military response from Israel, resulting in a high number of casualties.
The Labour leadership supports the UK government's call for a pause in military action to allow humanitarian aid but not an immediate ceasefire, suggesting it would not resolve the underlying issues. These resignations reflect a broader unrest within the party regarding its foreign policy stance on the conflict.