SIR Keir Starmer has refused to say how his MPs will be instructed to vote on the SNP's upcoming ceasefire motion.

The SNP are set to bring the issue back to the Commons next week, with a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire. 

During a previous Westminster vote on the issue in November, Labour lost 10 shadow ministers and parliamentary aides who rebelled against the leadership’s stance on Gaza.

Starmer has this far refused to call for a ceasefire, instead calling for a "sustainable" one, and instructed MPs not to back the SNP's previous motion.

Speaking to Sky in Munich on Saturday, Starmer said: “Well at the moment, the motion hasn’t been put down.

"That won’t happen until next week. So we’ll have to look at the precise wording.

“But I’m very clear that we all want a ceasefire. The question therefore is how do we get there?”

READ MORE: Owen Jones: It makes perfect sense to protest Scottish Labour conference

First Minister Humza Yousaf responded to Starmer's comments, urging him to back a ceasefire starting now without caveats.

"Astonishing that Starmer still won't back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza," the SNP chief wrote.

"The SNP will bring forward another vote on an immediate ceasefire next week. Any political party that refuses to back it will be on the wrong side of history. I hope Keir Starmer does the right thing."

It comes after Scottish Labour delegates at the party's conference in Glasgow backed an "unequivocal" ceasefire on Saturday morning.

The motion passed by the party’s conference passed unopposed and urges an end to rocket fire into and out of Gaza, the unconditional release of hostages taken by Hamas, the restoration of essential supplies and a pathway to peace.

However, it also condemned the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 2023 and noted Israel’s right to protect its citizens.

But the motion said there was “no justification for the collective punishment of 2.2 million citizens in Gaza”.

The conflict was debated during the second day of the Scottish Labour conference, with Neil Bibby (below), the party’s constitution spokesman, urging delegates to back the motion ahead of the vote.

The National: Neil Bibby MSP

He said: “We believe every life matters, here in Scotland and in Ukraine, Gaza and in Israel.

“Every state, including Israel, has the right to defend itself and its people, not least from indiscriminate terrorist attacks.

“The remaining hostages taken on October 7 must be released by Hamas. However, every state has a responsibility to exercise restraint in response.

“We would expect this of the British government and our armed forces. We should expect this of Israel too.”

More than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 68,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s health ministry, during Israel's bombardment of the territory in the wake of the October 7 attacks.