Labour will continue to resist calls for a ceasefire in Gaza despite the resignation of a shadow minister over the issue.

Imran Hussain announced last night that he was quitting his frontbench role so he could be “fully free” to “strongly advocate for a ceasefire”. He said it had become clear that his view on Gaza “differs substantially’’ from that of Sir Keir.

A Labour Party spokesman made clear this morning that Sir Keir would not be changing his position in the wake of the resignation - the first over the ceasefire issue - and would continue to push for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting. 

The spokesman said: “Labour fully understands calls for a ceasefire. Everybody wants to see an end to the shocking images we are seeing in Gaza. We need to see all hostages released and aid getting to those most in need.

“But a ceasefire now will only freeze this conflict and would leave hostages in Gaza and Hamas with the infrastructure and capability to carry out the sort of attack we saw on October 7.

“International law must be followed at all times and innocent civilians must be protected. Labour is calling for humanitarian pauses in the fighting. This is the best and most realistic way to address the humanitarian emergency in Gaza and is a position shared by our major allies.”

More than a dozen junior shadow ministers have backed calls for a ceasefire and Mr Hussain’s decision to quit now raises the question of whether more frontbenchers could resign.

You can follow the latest updates below and join the conversation in the comments section here.