Camden Council has faced fresh calls to pull its pension investments from arms manufacturers linked to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Campaigners from the Camden Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and retired Unison union members demanded pension fund divestment and a debate on a ceasefire at last week's council meeting.

George Binette, on behalf of retired Camden UNISON workers, called for elected trade union representatives to get voting rights on the local government pension scheme.

Binette insisted the council divest from weapons companies powering Israel’s military action or the conflict in Sudan, along with any other “unethical” companies.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the public gallery doors were locked during the meeting after activists from Camden Friends of Palestine were ejected from the gallery at the previous full council meeting.

Helena Aksentijevic, secretary of Camden PSC, said “In 1983, supported by Frank Dobson, Camden acted radically in their opposition to the apartheid government of South Africa.

“The people of Camden are asking you please to be radical again — to condemn Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people and to call for an immediate ceasefire.”

The PSC also requested the council address “splits in community cohesion” arising from a “refusal to discuss the situation in Gaza”.

The Town Hall has been criticised over pension fund investments in companies like Elbit Systems, an Israeli private arms company.

Protestors argue the council has directly funded millions into Israel, but the Town Hall has insisted that investments were not direct.

In September, the council said it was “considering all options” over divestment.

Pensions committee chair Cllr Rishi Madlani thanked the PSC for engaging with him but did not commit to divestment, explaining a committee will look at peace and justice as a core investment belief next year.

Councils have a legal responsibility or ‘fiduciary duty’ to ensure pension funds generate enough money to sustain the benefit for retirees.

To overcome legal obstacles to divestment, Camden’s neighbouring borough of Islington has proposed restructuring its fund.

Cllr Awale Olad gave the harshest criticism of Israel yet heard from the Labour group in the chamber, directly accusing the state of ‘war crimes’.

Council leader Cllr Richard Olszewski said: “People of all faiths have been impacted by the conflict in the Middle East. That pain is felt across Camden, for some very directly.

“Our priority as a council is to ensure that communities remain safe, and we recognise that cohesion is an important part of people both feeling and being safe.”