Title Revised: Episode Twenty-five Hyphenated

In recent developments, European leaders have expressed strong criticism of Israel's military actions in Gaza, emphasizing humanitarian concerns and urging for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid. This comes as the Israel-Palestine conflict continues to be a focal point of discussions among European leaders.

Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister as of August 2025, has condemned Israel’s decision to escalate the offensive in Gaza, calling it "wrong" and urging reconsideration. Starmer advocates for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, the release of hostages by Hamas, and a negotiated two-state solution. However, he insists that Hamas "must leave as well as disarm," signalling his rejection of Hamas' role in Gaza's future.

Regarding calls to boycott or protest the Labour Party due to its stance on Israel, the search results do not explicitly detail widespread European leaders’ responses to such movements or claims specifically targeting Starmer. However, European political discourse broadly shows increasing frustration with Israeli actions, with calls from some quarters for more significant measures against Israel, including the suspension of EU-Israel partnerships or sanctions, framed as necessary to comply with international law.

At the EU and broader European level, many leaders condemn Israel’s actions as exacerbating humanitarian crises and war crimes, but few have taken concrete punitive steps. Internal EU debates reveal tensions between upholding international law and political reluctance to alienate Israel. EU staff have reportedly protested the bloc's failure to exert pressure on Israel, viewing it as violating legal and moral obligations.

Meanwhile, the Hyphenated team continues to cover various topics, from the latest in fashion with an article about RWRK Studio, an upcycling brand that turns discarded towels into street style staples, to the UK's response to the latest Middle East conflict, as discussed in the Hyphenated podcast. Episodes 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, and 28 are upcoming, with Episode 27 titled "The Israel-Gaza war cannot make us lose our humanity."

For those interested in keeping up with the team's work, episodes of the Hyphenated podcast are available at the Hyphen website, and subscription to the podcast is available on various podcast apps and services. The team can also be contacted at podcast@our website.

In other news, Hyphen reporter Saman Javed meets the Muslim therapists calling for more openness on faith-based counselling, and in a recent episode, UK Muslim leaders call for restraint by Israel and condemn Hamas attacks.

[1] Keir Starmer's position on Israel-Palestine conflict: [URL] [2] European leaders' stance on two-state solution: [URL] [3] Calls for EU to suspend privileged status and sanctions against Israel: [URL] [4] EU staff protesting bloc's failure to exert pressure on Israel: [URL]