Sir Keir Starmer said he would “never” ban all arms sales to Israel as he faced down demands from MPs on the anniversary of Oct 7.

Keir Starmer has ruled out a complete ban on UK arms sales to Israel - but warned that the Middle East cannot endure another year of war. Speaking on the first anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel which killed more than 1,200 innocent civilians, the prime minister insisted the country had the right to defend itself.

In a carefully crafted statement in the Commons to commemorate the 7 October atrocity, which sparked war in the Middle East, Sir Keir’s message to MPs was that the ayatollahs who rule Iran must be held to account and forced to take responsibility for the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.