Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks during a visit to a family centre in Sheffield, northern England.
UK PM Andy Burnham signals tougher stance on ‘Israeli’ settlements
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled a tougher stance on ‘Israeli’ settlements in the West Bank and renewed focus on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, describing the situation as an “unjustifiable humanitarian disaster” and “catastrophe” whose scale is “unacceptable.”
In recent remarks to TLDR news, Burnham said: “There are potential measures that I’m looking at in terms of the settlements in the West Bank, and those will be looked at and announced in due course.”
He added: “There’s a really unjustifiable humanitarian disaster unfolding. We’ve got to be thinking about it every single day, looking at what more we can do and speaking truth about it. The scale of the humanitarian catastrophe is unacceptable.”
Andy Burnham on Palestine:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 1, 2026
There are potential measures that I'm looking at in terms of the settlements in the West Bank, and those will be looked at and announced in due course.
There's a really unjustifiable humanitarian disaster unfolding. We've got to be thinking about it… pic.twitter.com/EdAen4PEhj
The comments come weeks after Burnham, who took office as prime minister following Keir Starmer’s resignation, apologised for Labour’s early handling of the Gaza conflict.
In a Guardian interview earlier, he stated: “I know many people feel that at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza my party didn’t get it right and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.”
He acknowledged the UK “was too slow to call for a ceasefire” and insisted: “We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government.”
Burnham has described the suffering in Gaza as “a scar on our collective conscience,” noting that innocent Palestinians continue to be killed while far too little aid reaches those in need.
He has pointed to increasing evidence of possible war crimes but left formal determinations to international courts.
On the West Bank, Burnham has criticised rising settler violence and the expansion of settlements he views as illegal under international law and as obstacles to a two-state solution.
Burnham’s statements mark an effort to reset Labour’s approach after electoral losses linked in part to discontent over Gaza policy.
