United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer made an unfortunate gaffe during a speech at his party’s conference Tuesday when he mistakenly called for the return of ‘sausages,’ instead of hostages, held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Starmer was speaking at the Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool when he called for a de-escalation between Lebanon and Israel, as well as a cease-fire in Gaza.
He also called for the return of hostages being held by the terror group when he slipped up, before quickly recovering.
‘I call again for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, the return of the sausages — the hostages — and a recommitment to the two-state solution: a recognized Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel,’ he said.
The mistake quickly went viral.
During his remarks, Starmer was also heckled by a spectator in the audience who shouted about Gaza.
‘This guy’s obviously got a pass from the 2019 conference. We’ve changed the party,’ Starmer joked in response, Reuters reported. ‘While he’s been protesting, we’ve been changing the party. That’s why we’ve got a Labour government.’
Multiple hostages are still being held in Gaza nearly a year after the group attacked Israeli communities Oct. 7, sparking the latest conflict between Hamas and the Jewish state.
Israel has proposed ending the war if Hamas releases the remaining hostages, along with the demilitarization of Gaza and the establishment of an alternative governing body. Hamas has rejected several offers to end the conflict.
Israel has bombarded Gaza and pledged to hunt down those responsible for the deadly attack. Meanwhile, it has also had to defend itself on a second front against shelling in its north from Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israeli forces said they have continued to carry out dozens of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets within Lebanon and that artillery and tanks continue to hit targets close to the border.