Keir Starmer calls for international investigation into Israeli treatment of Palestinians

Labour leader says 'appalled' by reports of 'systematic discrimination'

Starmer's comments come after Human Rights Watch accuse Israel of 'crimes against humanity' of apartheid

Keir Starmer has called for an international investigation into the Israeli treatment of Palestinians, saying he was "appalled" by reports of "systematic discrimination".

The Labour leader made the comments after Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israel of "crimes against humanity" of apartheid.

In a report published on Tuesday, HRW said that Israel had created a system of "segregation, dispossession and oppression" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as within Israel itself.

Starmer said the report's findings were "deeply concerning" and called on the international community to take action.

"The Israeli government must be held accountable for its actions," he said. "We cannot stand by and watch as Palestinians continue to be denied their basic rights."

Starmer's comments were welcomed by human rights groups, but condemned by the Israeli government.

A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the HRW report was "baseless" and that Israel was "committed to upholding the rights of all its citizens, regardless of their ethnicity or religion".