Unspeakable violence should not be answered with unspeakable violence

Editorial: It was cruel and cynical of Hamas to take hostages, and it is not a tactic that can be rewarded; but the safety of the 10 British citizens and others has to be taken into account as Israel considers its next steps – and its future

MPs pay their respects to victims in Israel and Gaza in the Commons on Monday (Reuters)

At a time when the prestige of parliament is standing low, the display of unity and determination tempered by humanity in the chamber of the Commons is a reminder of how the House can still rise to the occasion.

The prime minister, the leader of the opposition, the leader of the SNP parliamentary group, the Liberal Democrat Layla Moran and others spoke eloquently and movingly for the nation as a whole, and the people suffering in Gaza and Israel.

The critics of Israeli policy were temperate and the prime minister careful in his language about Israel’s right to defend itself. He resisted the temptation to polarise: if only the rest of his cabinet had the sense to.