LONDON: The Scottish Labour Party has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, BBC News reported.

Party leader Anas Sarwar has been calling for a ceasefire for several months, in a split with the head of the national party, Keir Starmer, who said he wanted a 鈥渟ustainable end鈥� to the Israel-Hamas war.

Starmer has faced significant pressure from the party ranks over his stance.

Now, Scottish Labour鈥檚 two members of parliament in Westminster 鈥� Michael Shanks and Ian Murray 鈥� will face pressure to back Sarwar in next week鈥檚 vote in the House of Commons calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

In a similar vote in November, the two MPs abstained.

Starmer has repeatedly shifted his position on the issue, at first calling for a 鈥渉umanitarian pause鈥� and then a 鈥渟ustainable ceasefire.鈥�

At the Munich Security Conference, he said that the fighting in Gaza 鈥渉as to stop,鈥� adding: 鈥淭he question is how do we get there?鈥�

Scottish Labour鈥檚 passing of the ceasefire motion was unopposed. It calls for an end to strikes into and out of Gaza, Hamas鈥� release of hostages and a pathway to peace.

In his appeal for support for the motion, Neil Bibby, Scottish Labour鈥檚 constitution spokesperson, said: 鈥淚t is simply heartbreaking that countless children in Gaza are currently dying and there are heartbroken parents in Israel too.

鈥淭hat is why we have a moral obligation to be unequivocal. There must be an end to the fighting now and a sustainable ceasefire. An end to the terror and end to the violence.鈥�

Sarwar has attempted to play down his party鈥檚 split with the national Labour Party.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 as much distance in this as people now believe,鈥� he said.

鈥淜eir Starmer has said he wants the fighting to stop right now and for that to be a sustainable ceasefire. I think we ultimately have the same position.鈥�