UK PM says year of Israel-Hamas war hit community ties 

LONDON, Oct 6: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday called for a ceasefire in Gaza and restraint by all parties, saying the year-long Israel-Hamas conflict had affected community relations in Britain.

"The sparks light touchpapers in our own communities here at home," Starmer wrote in the Sunday Times ahead of the anniversary of the Palestinian militant group's unprecedented October 7 attack against Israel which sparked the war.

"Israel and the Middle East are not just inseparable from our nation's history. They have a deep relationship with our multicultural society," Starmer said, pointing out that "millions have family ties to the region".
Since the October 7 attack Israel has subjected the Gaza Strip to relentless bombardment.  In the last two weeks, the conflict has spread to Israeli attacks in Lebanon against Hamas's fellow Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, as well as ballistic missiles fired by Iran on Israel.    —AFP