Five independent pro-Palestine candidates, including former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, have won in United Kingdom general elections with Israel’s war on Gaza among key issues for voters.

The other four independent candidates who won their seats from Labour on Friday include Shockat Adam in Leicester South, Ayoub Khan in Birmingham Perry Barr, Adnan Hussain in Blackburn, and Iqbal Mohamed in Dewsbury and Batley, Al Jazeera reported. 

Both the Conservatives, who were routed in the election, and Labour have said they want the fighting in Gaza to stop. Yet, they have backed Israel’s “right to defend itself”, angering pro-Palestine and Muslim voters across the country.

Labour leader Keir Starmer, who will be the next prime minister, was heckled with shouts of “Free Palestine” both at the polling station in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency and at his election count as he was declared to have won his seat.

Corbyn, 75, who has represented London’s Islington North constituency for more than 40 years, was re-elected after defeating Labour’s Praful Nargund by 24,120 votes to 16,873.

He said those who voted for him were “looking for a government that on the world stage will search for peace, not war, and not allow the terrible conditions to go on in Gaza at the present time”.