Rishi Sunak has called for pauses to the fighting in Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to safely reach those without food, water or medicine. Though he expressly avoided backing the suggestion of a total ceasefire, the British prime minister said he recognised there needed to be a “safer environment” for aid agencies to help Palestinians. It came as MPs discussed events in the Middle East, with one Labour backbencher accusing Israel of levying “collective punishment” on civilians for “crimes they did not commit”. Sunak told the Commons on Wednesday that “the first and most important principle is that Israel has the right to defend itself under international law”. He said the government wanted Hamas to release hostages, help Britons leave Gaza and ensure humanitarian aid could make it to those in need. “We recognise for all of that to happen, there has to be a safer environment, which of course necessitates specific pauses – as distinct from a ceasefire,” Sunak said at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday. The UK had “discussed this with partners” on Tuesday evening at the UN, he said. According to Reuters, the US has been pushing for shorter breaks in the fighting – known as specific pauses – while Russia advocated at the UN for a complete ceasefire. Sunak said Israel had suffered “a shockingly brutal” attack and Hamas was “responsible for this conflict”, adding that the group “cruelly embeds itself” among civilians. An RAF flight left the UK on Wednesday morning for Egypt, carrying 21 tonnes of aid for Gaza, including more than 75,000 medical kits, solar lights, and water filters, the prime minister revealed. He added: “We will continue to do everything we can to increase the flow of aid, including fuel, into Gaza.” The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, did not mention the conflict, instead using his six questions at PMQs to criticise Sunak on the first anniversary of becoming prime minister and celebrate Labour’s success in last week’s byelections. After the Conservative party’s candidate in Tamworth posted a graphic on social media telling some families struggling to feed their children to “Fuck off”, Starmer said Sunak should call a general election to let voters “return the compliment”. Sunak avoided condemning the remarks by his party’s byelection candidate, and instead insisted the government was working to support the most vulnerable in society. However, Starmer accused him of being “completely oblivious” and “just patting himself on the back”, blaming the Tories for rising costs, mortgage rates and a lack of affordable new homes. The Israel-Hamas conflict was brought up by others, including the SNP’s deputy Westminster leader, Mhairi Black. She called for a ceasefire, and warned: “If we ignore this, we risk pouring petrol on a fire in a place that only requires a spark to ignite.” Yasmin Qureshi, a Labour frontbencher, also said people in Gaza were being “massacred” as they were left without homes, food or water. “This is collective punishment of the Palestine people in Gaza for crimes they did not commit.” Sunak said he welcomed the fact there was “unity” between the political parties’ on Israel’s right to defend itself. He added: “We mourn the loss of every innocent life – people of every faith, of every nationality. And we are working as hard as we can to get as much humanitarian aid into Gaza as quickly, as practically possible.” No 10 later refused to be drawn on how long the pauses in fighting should be. Sunak’s spokesperson would only say the government was working towards “a resolution that delivers on the UK’s priorities” at the UN. Meanwhile, Starmer’s spokesperson declined to say whether they supported Qureshi’s call for a total ceasefire. They said Labour stood behind the US position of pushing for “humanitarian pauses”. They added: “We clearly want to see more aid going in and we want to see hostages being able to come out. We want to see regular fast and safe conditions for aid going into Gaza.”