Andy Burnham, widely viewed as the leading contender to succeed Keir Starmer as Britain’s next prime minister, signaled Thursday that he would adopt a significantly tougher stance toward Israel, apologizing for Labour’s initial response to the war in Gaza and pledging greater pressure on the Jewish state if he takes office.

Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, Burnham acknowledged that Labour’s early reaction to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza was inadequate and expressed regret over the party’s handling of the conflict.

“I know many people feel that at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza, my party didn’t get it right, and I am sorry about that,” he said. “The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.”

Burnham said a government led by him would pursue additional measures aimed at increasing pressure on Israel, including weighing further sanctions against Israeli individuals and organizations and considering a ban on trade involving products from what he called illegal settlements.

“We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government,” Burnham said. Although he acknowledged that Britain has already taken “some important steps,” he argued, “the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire in the war launched following the Hamas-led October 7th Massacre. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach.”

While sharply criticizing Israel’s military campaign, Burnham stopped short of labeling it a genocide, saying that such a determination should be made through the legal process rather than by elected officials.

“I have been absolutely appalled by what I’ve seen and read about the destruction of Gaza,” he said. “There’s increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed. There must be accountability for the depth of the suffering the people of Gaza have experienced. Ultimately, however, it must be for the international courts to determine, rather than politicians.”

The interview also touched on concerns raised by Britain’s Jewish community. Burnham reiterated his opposition to antisemitism while again condemning Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

“There is no contradiction between a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism and holding the Netanyahu government to account,” he said. “I will always take a fair and balanced approach and stand up for what is right.”

Burnham further criticized what he described as escalating violence by Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem, as well as continued residential construction in those areas. He said his government would examine additional steps, including “looking at further sanctions” and “looking at measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements.”

He also described conditions in Gaza as “a scar on our collective conscience,” pointing to ongoing civilian casualties, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and Israel’s continued military operations in the territory.