British parliament
British parliamentiStock

Britain's oldest serving MP and a veteran lawmaker for the opposition Labour party, Gerald Kaufman, died on Sunday at the age of 86, his family announced.

Kaufman died after several months of suffering from an undisclosed illness.

"Sir Gerald dedicated his life to serving those whom he believed would benefit most from a Labour government and Labour values in action," his family said in a statement.

The octogenarian first stepped into the House of Commons in 1970 and has represented his constituents in Manchester, north-west England, ever since.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn paid tribute to Kaufman, whom he described as "an iconic and irascible figure" within the party.

"He loved life and politics. I will deeply miss him, both for his political commitment and constant friendship," Corbyn said.

Kaufman was one of the few prominent Jewish politicians in Britain and was known as a vituperous critic of Israel, calling for sanctions against Israel and mendaciously claiming Israel "plants knives" next to terrorists' bodies to provide excuses for "executing Palestinians."

The IDF neutralizes terrorists who are attacking or attempting to attack civilians if their actions pose a danger to life. Israel does not impose the death penalty, and jailed terrorists enjoy VIP jail conditions including a canteen, spacious rooms, televisions, and free higher education.

A soldier, Elor Azariya, accused of shooting a wounded terrorist without sufficient evidence that the terrorist presented an immediate danger, was recently sentenced to a jail sentence for manslaughter.

During Kaufman's time in parliament, he saw nine prime ministers take the reins of power.

When Kaufman was most recently re-elected, in 2015, he was 64 years older than the youngest parliamentarian, Mhairi Black of the Scottish National Party who was then just 20.