PRIME Minister Sir Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure to condemn Donald Trump’s plan to drive Palestinians out of Gaza as MPs in all parties protest.

Ministers are struggling to maintain traditional British policy in support of a “two-state solution” to the Palestine crisis without distancing themselves from the US President’s ethnic cleansing scheme, which the prime minister refuses to do.

Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds mounted a rearguard defence of this duplicitous approach in the Commons today, stressing British commitment to international law and to Palestinians rebuilding their lives in Gaza.

But she was also clear in response to critical MPs — no recognition of a Palestinian state, no end to arms sales to Israel and above all no criticism of Trump or his shock proposal.

Thirty-eight Labour MPs — nearly a tenth of the parliamentary party — are among 68 parliamentarians to write to Foreign Secretary David Lammy urging immediate recognition of Palestine and a public government denunciation of the Trump plan.

And 39 MPs have signed a Commons motion tabled by Leeds East MP Richard Burgon — now restored to the Labour whip after a six-month suspension — calling “on the government unequivocally to reject such proposals and take action to oppose any efforts to forcibly displace and ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza.”

In the Commons, Mr Burgon told Ms Dodds “nobody can claim any longer that they do not know what is going on: a genocide. All the warm words in the world about a two-state solution will not stop it; only sanctions will.”

Ms Dodds floundered as the government’s speak-no-evil approach to Trump was attacked from all sides.

Tory MP Kit Malthouse denounced “weakness and vacillation” over Gaza from both this government and its Conservative predecessor and asked Dodds: “Are Arabs, and particularly Palestinians, entitled to the same protections under international law as everybody else?”

He angrily inquired when ministers would “stop just talking about it and actually take action to enforce these matters in law?”

Imran Hussain, once again a Labour MP, demanded to know “where exactly has refusing to sanction Israel led us when Palestinians are facing mass expulsion, reoccupation and resettlement?”

SNP MP Dave Doogan asked “if the government accepts that Trump’s plan for Gaza is ethnic cleansing, and if not, what does the government understand ethnic cleansing to be?”

And left Labour MP Andy McDonald, who had secured the debate, said recognition of a Palestinian state was an “urgent necessity” and asked when the government would come to a view on the International Court of Justice’s opinion on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

Still thinking about it was Dodd’s response. She did affirm that Britain would oppose “any effort to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states against their will.”

She went on: “Palestinian civilians should be able to return to and rebuild their homes and their lives. That is a right, guaranteed under international law.

“We must see a negotiated two-state solution, with a sovereign Palestinian state, which includes the West Bank and Gaza, alongside a safe and secure Israel with Jerusalem as the shared capital.”

The letter to her boss Mr Lammy was co-ordinated by Tooting Labour MP Rosena Allin-Khan. 

She said President Trump’s “abominable” plans amounted to the “forcible removal and dispossession of an entire population.”

“Let us be clear that this would not be a gesture of humanitarianism or compassion,” she said.

“On the contrary, it would amount to forcible removal and dispossession of an entire population. It would be ethnic cleansing.”

The letter said: “These barbaric proposals by President Trump seriously risk destabilising the region and wrecking the ceasefire agreement.

“The UK and the wider international community has long lauded a two-state solution as the only means for sustainable peace in the region, but, if carried out, this plan from President Trump would be its final death knell.

“Now is the time to finally take action and immediately recognise an independent Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

“President Trump’s plan is an affront to the values that we hold dear.”