'Starmer's absolutely right': Tory MP Mark Pritchard tells LBC why he has withdrawn his support for Israel in Gaza

24 May 2025, 12:22 | Updated: 24 May 2025, 23:08

Conservative MP Mark Pritchard has told LBC how he changed stance on Israel's actions in Gaza after reading a bedtime story to his daughter, as he praised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for condemning the Israeli government.

Mr Pritchard has been a staunch supporter of Israel ever since entering the House of Commons in 2005.

But after Israel's relentless bombing campaign and blockade of humanitarian aid in Gaza, which has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, including 16,500 children, the Tory MP has changed his mind.

It comes just days after Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Israel in a joint letter with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French president Emmanuel Macron.

The letter opposed the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, and said the level of human suffering in Gaza is "intolerable", marking a significant change of tone from the Labour government.

According to Mr Pritchard, the Prime Minister had got it "absolutely right".

In an interview with LBC's Matt Frei, the Tory MP shared how he came to a staggering revelation about Israel while reading a bedtime story to his six-year-old daughter.

"I thought this is what every little daughter should be having done to them with a father or mother or elder brother or sister, just having a normal life," he said.

"That is what Palestinians want, that is what the Israelis want.

Read more: Israeli troops 'forcing Palestinians to act as human shields in Gaza', soldiers and ex detainees say

Read more: UN chief accuses Israel of only allowing a 'teaspoon' of aid into Gaza following 11-week blockade

"So we need as leaders, I'm just a minor backbencher but global leaders need to come together and finally sort this whole issue out that has been going on far too long, cost too many lives and it is going to be ultimately done through a diplomatic solution."

He stressed that he can still be "pro-Israel" despite holding this position, adding that he wants to see "every single Hamas fighter killed or put into prison."

It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned this week that "all of the territories of the Gaza Strip will be under Israel's security control" once its war in Gaza ends.

Western leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have since condemned Israel for its actions - with a very small amount of humanitarian aid finally allowed in after an 11-week blockade and more than 53,000 Palestinians killed by Israel so far.

Mr Pritchard said: "It's absolutely right the UK Prime Minister so happens to be a Labour Prime Minister right now would stand up on the right side and I put it push it back to the Israeli Prime Minister.

"I think Keir Starmer and those standing up for the children of Gaza are on the right side of history, the right side of humanity and are making the right moral judgement."

The MP for The Wrekin added that he wants to see the left and the right of this country "working together rather than making political points in order to stand up for those that don't have a voice in Gaza".

"Half the population of Gaza are children. They are being literally bombed to bits every single day. They are being slowly starved," he said.

This week, the head of the UN slammed Israel for only allowing a “teaspoon” of aid into Gaza following a night which saw at least 60 people killed by Israeli airstrikes.

Speaking on Friday, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said the aid allowed into Gaza this week “amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required."

He added: "The needs are massive and the obstacles are staggering."

It comes after Israel said it would allow aid in Gaza following warnings of mass starvation and famine, including one UN official claiming 14,000 children could die in the space of 24 hours if support wasn’t delivered.

Mr Pritchard says the Israeli government need to be held to account.

"We're going to see a lot more people come out and say we can be pro-Israel, as I am, we can be anti Hamas. And let me be clear, I would want to see every single Hamas fighter killed or put into prison.

"But we will know from counterterrorist operations around the world, for the Israeli Prime Minister to conduct a war saying he wants to kill every single member Hamas, let me tell him it just isn't going to happen, however good the IDF are."