Starmer's assertion that Israel has the right to shut off essential services to Palestinians is potentially regarded as a war crime by courts around the world. 

Following the International Court of Justice's verdict, the global consensus is solidifying: Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza is unmistakably genocide.

Under UK and international law, weapons exports to any country where there is a risk they might be used in war crimes should be halted. Sales of arms to Israel by any country should be immediately prohibited.

Accountability should follow including the imposition of sanctions and the issue of arrest warrants by the ICC to all those involved in war crimes, which the UK should not obstruct.

British citizens should not be allowed to join the IDF, attack Palestinians and return to the UK without accountability.

Tragically, over 40,000 Palestinians, most of whom are children, have already lost their lives. Hundreds of thousands more face starvation as Western powers, in response to the ICJ's ruling, slash essential funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a critical lifeline for over 2 million Gazans.

In the UK, the Labour Party's complicity in Israel's genocidal campaign, coupled with its punitive measures against dissenting voices within its ranks, have precipitated a profound rupture. I am part of a wave of independent anti-genocide candidates emerging, to challenging the prevailing narrative.

I aim to harness the fervour of street protests for Palestine, redirecting the electoral discourse towards the paramount global imperative of our time. Together, we will chart a path forward, weaving together the strands of resistance into a potent force for change.

Support for Palestinian human rights and sovereignty has become a litmus test for anyone purporting to uphold human values. 

Therefore I call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza; an end to arms sales to Israel; sanctions and prosecutions for war crimes; and an end to decades of Israeli impunity.