More than half of Greenwich’s Labour councillors have signed a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, breaking ranks with national party leader Sir Keir Starmer’s line on the Middle East crisis.

29 of the party’s 52 councillors have signed an open declaration saying that they are “appalled by the events in the Middle East and are aware of the impact they are having on  Greenwich residents”. The vast majority of Greenwich councillors represent Labour, with the remaining three representing the Conservatives.

The statement condemns both the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, which killed 1,200 Israelis, and the continuing “bombing of built-up civilian areas of Israel”, in which 18,000 people have lost their lives.

Councillors signing the declaration come from both the left and right of the party, including former leader Danny Thorpe, current deputy leader Averil Lekau and former deputy leaders David Gardner and John Fahy. Current cabinet members Ann-Marie Cousins, Adel Khaireh and Mariam Lolovar have also signed the statement, as have former cabinet members Jackie Smith, Ivis Williams and Miranda Williams.

Three of the councillors who signed today’s statement – Fahy, Majella Anning and Issy Cooke – signed a letter to Starmer last month calling for the party to back a ceasefire.

The declaration follows a demonstration inside the town hall by activists last Wednesday criticising the council for not speaking out for a ceasefire. Members of the public who have tried to raise the issue in the council chamber have found their questions rejected.

Starmer has declined to call for a ceasefire, insisting that Israel has the right to defend itself, although earlier this month he called for Israel to “comply with international law by protecting innocent lives and civilian infrastructure like schools and hospitals”.

Senior Labour figures to have called for a ceasefire include the London mayor Sadiq Khan and the Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

The statement in full:

We are appalled by the events in the Middle East and are aware of the impact they are having on  Greenwich residents. 

As Greenwich councillors we add our voices to the many others around the world calling for an immediate  ceasefire in Gaza. 

We condemn the atrocities committed against Israel on 7 October just as we condemn the bombing of  built-up civilian areas of Gaza.  

The sheer number of innocent civilians now killed and displaced in Gaza, the numbers of women and  children affected and the destruction of healthcare, religious and other infrastructure is truly shocking. 

An unprecedented humanitarian crisis is unfolding. Civilians in Gaza need to know the world is not simply  watching but that urgent steps are being taken to end it.  

1. We support the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank. 

2. We join with the World Health Organisation in calling for unrestricted humanitarian aid to be  allowed into Gaza and the immediate restoration of access to water, food, power and medical aid.  The sieges of both Gaza and the West Bank must be lifted and should never be reimposed. 

3. We call for all hostages and illegally held prisoners to be released. 

4. We call on governments who have influence in the region to pressure all sides to commit to finding  a just solution. No more lives should be lost. 

Majella Anning (Creekside), Olu Babatola (Thamesmead Moorings), Linda Bird (Eltham Park), Issy Cooke (Plumstead Common), Ann-Marie Cousins (Abbey Wood), Gary Dillon (Charlton Village), Cathy Dowse (Mottingham, Coldharbour & New Eltham), John Fahy (Kidbrooke Park), Leo Fletcher (Blackheath Westcombe), David Gardner (Greenwich Peninsula), Rowshan Hannan (East Greenwich), Adel Khaireh (Plumstead & Glyndon), Averil Lekau (Thamesmead Moorings), Mariam Lolavar (Blackheath Westcombe), Christine May (Middle Park & Horn Park), Odette McGahey (Kidbrooke Park), Sarah-Jane Merrill (Eltham Page), Asli Mohammed (Woolwich Dockyard), Simon Peirce (Eltham Park), Majid Rahman (East Greenwich), Maisie Richards Cottell (East Greenwich), Lakshan Saldin (Charlton Hornfair), Jackie Smith (Woolwich Arsenal), Christine St Matthew-Daniel (Blackheath Westcombe), Rachel Taggart-Ryan (Middle Park & Horn Park), Sandra Thomas (Plumstead & Glyndon), Danny Thorpe (Shooters Hill), Ivis Williams (Shooters Hill), Miranda Williams (Eltham Page).

Friday update: Three more councillors – Joshua Ayodele (Woolwich Arsenal), Pat Slattery (Greenwich Park) and Jo van den Broek (Charlton Village) – have been added to the letter, taking the total to 32 councillors.