Conservative parliamentarians marked the first anniversary of the 7th October attacks on Israel yesterday, with dozens joining a cross-party commemoration event and speaking in the House of Commons. Many MPs and Lords signed the Book of Reflection at the Embassy of Israel, sharing their condolences and expressing solidarity with the Jewish State.
Leader of the Opposition Rt. Hon. Rishi Sunak MP called the 7th October attacks a “modern pogrom – the worst loss of Jewish life since the Second World War” and a “horrendous reminder of the antisemitism in our world and the existential threats that Israel faces”. He raised the plight of “British citizen Emily Damari, who has endured a year in captivity” after being kidnapped into Gaza by the Iran-backed terror group Hamas.
“We should not forget the base cause of all these events: Iran’s refusal to accept Israel’s right to exist, and its desire to destabilise the region through arming and funding its terrorist proxies—Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis”, he continued, adding that “the United Kingdom stands with Israel against this terrorism today, tomorrow and always”.
Bob Blackman CBE MP highlighted that during Hamas’ attack, “those who were women were raped and mutilated; 254 were taken hostage into Gaza, and 101 remain unaccounted for”. He called on the Government to “make sure the hostages are returned immediately” and ensure that “the International Committee of the Red Cross has access to all those hostages in order to assess their state of health and, indeed, whether they are still alive”.
A “profound detestation of antisemitism in all its shapes and forces, as well as our profound love for the Jewish people on their day of suffering”, united everyone in the House of Commons, said Rt. Hon. Sir Edward Leigh MP, and underscored that “many of those who were murdered at the music festival and in the kibbutz were actively working for peace”.
Rt. Hon. Dame Priti Patel emphasised the importance of diplomacy, asking the Prime Minister what discussions he has had “with Gulf Co-operation Council leaders about the… aggressive behaviour – of their neighbour Iran, and what role they can play in de-escalation and preventing Iran from further escalating this terrible conflict?”
Rt. Hon. Sir Alec Shelbrooke MP pointed out that “more than 60,000 Israelis have been displaced in northern Israel by the actions of Hezbollah”, and commended the “multi-faith remembrance service in Millennium Square, attended by more than 1,000 people” in Leeds. He called the event a “marked contrast” to the “pure hatred and antisemitism” that drove the Jewish Chaplain of Leeds University “into hiding” due to his connection to the IDF.
“Since the barbaric attack on 7 October, we have seen an explosion in antisemitism and extremism on the streets of our own country”, said Rt. Hon. Robert Jenrick MP, adding that “we must root out those who despise our country and our values” and calling on the Prime Minister to “revoke the visas, where appropriate”, “encourage the police to enforce our existing laws without fear or favour, and to further ban and proscribe organisations such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps”.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Jenrick outlined that “our country has become unrecognisable from the liberal, tolerant nation we like to pride ourselves on”, after it became apparent that public demonstrations celebrated “the biggest loss of life Jewish life since the Holocaust” before Israel “had even responded” to Hamas’ 7th October attacks. “The threshold for prosecution is currently ‘incitement’ or ‘encouragement’… Any expression of support for terrorism, whether it’s designed to provoke emulation or not, should have no place in our society”, he stated.
Joy Morrissey MP also called out the “violent disorder and antisemitism in London”, outlining that “many members of the British Jewish communities here in London feel under threat, and this weekend we saw violent protest”.
“There have been 1,200 butchered and more than 250 hostages taken, more than 100 of whom are still there, including Emily Damari, a 28-year-old British citizen”, said Rt. Hon. Richard Holden MP. He gained a commitment from the Prime Minister to do “whatever it takes – leaving no stone unturned – in ensuring that she is returned to her family, and that, if necessary, British assets are used to help to extract her”.
Rt. Hon. Mark Pritchard MP brought attention to Iran’s “production of centrifuges and its uranium enrichment”, which will soon be free of the “restrictions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)”. He questioned the suitability of that deal, “given the new nexus of evil of North Korea, Iran and Russia on nuclear technology transfer”.
Rt. Hon. Dr. Andrew Murrison MP warned that “to be effective, an aid delivery vehicle needs to be rigorously impartial”, and urged the Government to “treat UNRWA with caution and carefully, and remember that other aid delivery agencies are available”.
Greg Smith MP agreed that “the restoration of funding” to UNRWA has “led to a feeling that the Government have stepped back their support for Israel” and emphasised that “it is vital that today and every day we remember every life lost at the hands of Hamas a year ago and every life lost in captivity since, and that we renew our calls for the release of every hostage”.
“Hezbollah began its latest assault on Israel on 8th October, the day after Hamas’s attacks on Israel. The Iran-backed terror group has fired more than 12,000 rockets towards Israel over the past year, but the international community called for a ceasefire only after Israel had responded”, said John Lamont MP, urging the Prime Minister to “deliver on his commitment” and proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Rt. Hon. James Cleverly MP recalled his visit to Ofakim in The Telegraph, writing that he was “forced to shelter underground after a barrage of Hamas rockets”. Mr Cleverly described how he “met survivors, and witnessed the destruction caused by Hamas. It was barbarism beyond belief”. He insisted, “we must never forget that Israel is surrounded by those that wish her harm, funded and propelled by Iran” and affirmed that “the UK must never waver in its support for Israel”.
CFI statement on the anniversary of the 7th October attacks:
“A year ago today, 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 251 taken hostage in Hamas’ barbaric 7th October attacks.
Children butchered in their beds, young people mowed down at a music festival, families burned. Men and women tortured and raped as their tormenters rejoiced. Atrocities live-streamed by terrorists on the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.
One year on, it is unfathomable that 101 hostages are still held by terrorists in Gaza. Their release should be immediate and unconditional.
We stand with Israel in its quest for peace and security for all civilians”.
IDF releases reviewed statistics one year after 7th October attacks
The IDF has released updated statistics one year on from the Hamas-led 7th October attacks.
On October 7th, 2023, over 3,000 Hamas terrorists invaded Israel from Gaza as part of what Hamas coined “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”, killing at least 1,139 Israelis and 71 citizens from 30 foreign nations, wounding 4,834 and kidnapping 251 men, women, and children – some dead, most alive, according to Israel’s armed forces.
The IDF reported that throughout the past year, over 13,200 rockets were launched towards Israel from Gaza, 12,400 from Lebanon, 400 from Iran, 180 from Yemen and 60 from Syria.
Hundreds of rockets fell short and landed in the territory from which they were launched, and were not included in the statistics, according to the IDF.
According to the data, around 17,000 Hamas operatives and members of other terror groups have been killed by the IDF in the Gaza Strip, with some 40,300 Hamas positions being struck there. Some 4,700 tunnel shafts have been destroyed. Eight Hamas brigade commanders and those of equivalent positions, over 30 Hamas battalion commanders and over 165 Hamas company commanders and equivalent-position operatives have also been killed, according to the data.
11,000 Hezbollah positions have been struck by the IDF in Lebanon since the onset of the war, with 800 terror operatives in the area, mostly members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, being killed in strikes. The number included 90 Hezbollah commanders, according to the IDF.
Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis launch attacks toward Israel on anniversary of 7th October attacks
On the anniversary of the 7th October attacks, Israel came under heavy rocket fire from Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in an assault from three directions.
This morning, sirens blared across Haifa, Acre and several other towns in the north of Israel as 100 rockets were launched from the Iran-backed terrorist organisation Hezbollah in Lebanon into Israeli airspace.
190 projectiles were fired yesterday by Hezbollah, which claimed to target the IDF’s 8200 intelligence unit’s base of operations. The IDF reported that five rockets were launched before some were intercepted, while others fell in open areas. Nine people were reportedly wounded in the attack.
Also yesterday, a surface to surface ballistic missile, launched by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group, was intercepted by the IDF. The Houthis also claimed to have launched drones and a second missile which were not referenced by the IDF, and whose outcome were not mentioned by the Yemeni terror group. No injuries or damage was reported.
Hamas also targeted central Israel from Khan Younis, northern Gaza, on Monday, as the country gathered to commemorate the terrorist group’s terrorist atrocity a year earlier. Shrapnel from the five rockets that were launched caused light injuries to two women, and damage to a property in Kfar Chabad, according to reports.
TRIGGER WARNING: Nova massacre survivor testifies to rape at festival site: “I have never heard screams for help like the ones I heard from that woman”
Survivor of the Nova Festival massacre, Yuval Sharvit Trabelsi, who lost her husband Mor at the scene of the attack, has testified that she witnessed rape while trying to evade Hamas terrorists.
“I have never heard screams for help like the ones I heard from that woman”, said Yuval, recalling the terrorists raping a female victim of the massacre, together with the “murder” and “kidnappings” that she witnessed.
The revelation came in a video broadcast to thousands of attendees for the 7th October commemoration in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park yesterday, one year from Hamas’ widescale terror attacks.
Eight killed in recent terror attacks in Israel
Policewoman Sgt. Shira Chaya Suslik, 19, was killed and 10 others were injured in a shooting terror attack in the southern Israeli town of Beersheba on 6th October, local authorities said. Ahmad al-Uqbi, 29, from an Israeli Bedouin community near the town of Lakiya was identified as the assailant.
Seven people were killed and 11 others wounded in a Palestinian terror attack in Jaffa in central Israel on Tuesday. Muhammad Khalef Saher Rajab and Hassan Muhammad Hassan Tamimi from Hebron in the West Bank were identified by authorities, one armed with a rifle and the other with a knife. Among those killed, Inbar Segev-Vigder, 33, died while shielding her 9-month-old son, Ari, who survived the attack.
