Harry Farley
Political correspondent

“After almost 11 years covering Parliament this is unprecedented territory for me,” says the Parliamentary Editor of the Press Association, Richard Wheeler.

“I can't write explainers fast enough for this,” adds Dr Alice Lilly, a senior researcher at the Institute for Government.

That gives you a sense of the scale of confusion at what’s happened today in the House of Commons.

Meanwhile, MPs from the SNP and the Conservatives are still furious.

Because they walked out in protest at the Speaker, they did not have the opportunity to register their votes on the calls for an immediate ceasefire.

There remains intense pressure on the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, tonight. He said he would meet with the whips from the main parties to discuss what has happened.

Deputy Speaker Rosie Winterton tells MPs they are moving on to a different issue now - a motion about banks and banking.

The Gaza debate has closed.

Multiple points of order, where MPs request clarification on the House's decision, are being raised with deputy speaker Rosie Winterton.

It's an opportunity for MPs, particularly the SNP, to vent their unhappiness about the how proceedings went.

The debate on Gaza ceasefire has now finished.

As Hoyle stops speaking, Lucy Powell, the shadow leader of the house, gets up to state a point of order:

"Can I just make a point of order that the amendment in the name of the leader of the opposition was this evening passed unanimously and therefore..."

More shouting.

Hoyle gets back up, to say: "I don't think this is the time... I want to move on... I'm just going to leave it at that."

Then he reintroduces his deputy, and leaves.

Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt thanks the Speaker for his heartfelt apology and for offering to meet all the party leaders to smooth things over.

"You're our Speaker and we wish you to defend the rights of all members of this house," she says.

"I thank you for recommitting yourself to those responsibilities today and for coming to the floor of the House."

Stephen Flynn from the SNP acknowledges the Speaker's apology but says he was warned that his decision would lead to the SNP not having a vote.

"I am afraid that is treating myself and my colleagues in the SNP with complete and utter contempt."

"Your position in intolerable," Flynn tells the Speaker, who left the Chamber after making his brief statement.

Speaker Hoyle apologised for his decision and said he would meet the leaders and the chief whips to discuss what the best way forward.

As he tries to speak he keeps being interrupted by MPs and shushing them.

After shouts from Tory benches that Sue Gray was the senior Labour figure claimed to be influencing the Speaker's decision, Hoyle makes a robust defence.

He says "I have never met with Sue Gray today, I didn't bump into her today, I am offended by that comment and I think you would like to withdraw it.

"That is the danger - that we've ended up with this House's speculation of not what is fact and what is factual.

"I am true to this House... I tried to do what I thought was the right thing for all sides of this House."

Sir Lindsay Hoyle is back in the House to respond to very vocal complaints of his handling of this debate.

"I wanted to do the best by every member of the house," he says.

"I regret how it's ended up. It was not my intention. I wanted all to ensure they could express their views. As it was, in particularly the SNP, were unable to vote on their own proposition.

"It is with my sadness that it ended in this position. It was never my intention. I recognise the strength of feeling of this house and its members. I will reflect on my part in that. I do not want it to have ended like this."

He says he will "meet all key players" in the coming hours on what is the best way forward.

"I thought I was doing the right thing. I do take responsibility for my actions."

The vote to sit in private has been rejected.

The Labour amendment calling for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" has passed without a vote.

Motion as amended passed without a vote, too, with some MPs screaming aye.

The motion for the Commons to sit in private doesn't pass, with 20 for and 212 against.

SNP MPs, including former leader Ian Blackford, can be seen in the doorway to the Chamber.

It looks like they're heading back after their earlier en masse walk out.

Susan Hulme
Parliamentary correspondent

There have not been scenes like this in the Commons Chamber since the fevered days of the Brexit debates when John Bercow was the speaker.

The current Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, was supposed to restore decorum and calm. And so far, he’s done that.

But the tense and sensitive issue of Gaza – and the raised political temperature ahead of a general election – has led to angry voices and confusion.

His attempt to find a way through tricky political waters infuriated the Scottish National Party and Conservatives who believed he was easing a difficult situation for Labour.

So tonight, we have a packed chamber, furious MPs: Confusion all round about procedure.

And no sign of the Speaker himself, with his Deputy, Dame Rosie Winterton trying to fend off criticism and maintain order.

The expected votes on Gaza have been replaced now by a protest vote about Commons procedure instead.

A half-empty Chamber is now trying to decide whether to continue the sitting in private.

That's a very rare move and last happened more than two decades ago, in 2001.

It means all members of the public must leave, broadcasting of proceedings ends, and the official record Hansard does not produce a transcript of what MPs say.

However, the results of decisions are published.

"Division, clear the lobby," says the deputy speaker and MPs start leaving the Commons.

MPs will now vote on whether the Commons should sit in private.

Shortly before the walkout, the SNP's Brendan O'Hara said the Commons had "descended into absolute chaos because of the decision of the Speaker earlier today" and demanded Lindsay Hoyle return to the Chamber.

Deputy Speaker Rosie Winterton responds Hoyle will be be "back in his place tomorrow" adding "it looks so bad to our constituents" when MPs are "just shouting each other down".

The row in the House now centres on the very notion of the opposition day.

We've been talking a lot about the SNP motion tabled as part of an opposition-day debate. So let us explain what an opposition day is.

Opposition days are days in which the opposition parties (which are those not in government, like Labour, the SNP, Lib Dems and so on) choose the subjects debated in the House of Commons.

It's an opportunity for those not in government to hold debates on what they view as key issues.

There are 20 of these days each year - 17 of these are allocated to the official opposition party, which right now is the Labour party, and the remaining three go to the next-biggest party, which is currently the SNP.

So, today the SNP had the opportunity to set the agenda in the House.

SNP and Conservative MPs have walked out of the Commons chamber in an apparent protest over the Speaker's handling of the Gaza ceasefire debate.

We'll bring you more details as we get them.

Conservative MP Philip Davies raises the claims that senior Labour figures pressured Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to make the unusual decision to allow an opposition amendment to an opposition motion.

BBC Newsnight's political editor posted the claim from senior Labour sources on social media earlier today, but added the Speaker's Office was later in touch to say the claim was not true.

Davies calls for the Labour figure to be identified as shouts of "Sue Gray" are made from the Conservative benches.

Deputy speaker Rosie Winterton says: "That tweet is wrong and the statement is incorrect, just to reassure him."

Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader, is demanding the Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle return to the House of Commons to explain what has happened.

He says if the Labour Party's amendment is carried, then the SNP vote will not be held - a consequence he says Hoyle was warned would happen.

"Where on earth is the Speaker of the House of Commons and how do we bring him to this house now to explain to the SNP why our views and our votes in this house are irrelevant to him?"