Note to reader: We wanted to give you a trigger warning on what you may read below. We have chosen, as with every night of these briefings, to not share horrific images, however we want to alert you as sensitively as we can to the reports coming out of Israel.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly: “We completely support Israel’s right and indeed duty of self-defence”
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly today reasserted: “I will put on record once again – we completely support Israel’s right and indeed duty of self-defence” and insisted that “we must remember why this is happening – the single largest murder of Jews since the Holocaust initiated by Hamas”.
Speaking during Foreign Office Oral Questions, the Foreign Secretary vowed to “work to bring peace between the Palestinian people and the Israelis” after Hamas sought to “derail future normalisation and negotiations” on October 7th. “They brought down the Oslo agreements, and they have consistently blocked all attempts to normalise relationships between Israel and the wider Arab world. We must not let them win in that endeavour”, he stated.
The Foreign Secretary also outlined the importance of the Abraham Accords – which the UK must “protect and ideally enhance” as a step toward the “creation of a sustainable two-state solution”.
CFI’s Parliamentary Chairman (Commons) Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP raised concerns that Hamas had stolen vital fuel and medical supplies from UNRWA needed for civilian aid. He underscored that “Hamas have repeatedly compromised UNRWA operations in Gaza”.
Chris Clarkson MP condemned the Palestinian Authority’s “filthy practice” of paying salaries to captured Hamas terrorists and the families of dead terrorists, after reports emerged that $3 million a month could be spent on the “martyrs fund” – also known as ‘pay-for-slay’. The Foreign Secretary assured Mr Clarkson that “no British aid money goes directly to the Palestinian Authority” and that the Department has “raised this issue” with its leadership and that the policy “is not conducive to (…) a future two-state solution”.
A number of MPs also called for the proscription of the IRGC. “We know that Iran has been a long-term funder and supporter of Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” said the Foreign Secretary – “Iran’s support for these militant groups has a destabilising impact on regional and international security, and we remain ever watchful of its actions”.
Greg Smith MP added that “Iran’s blatant arming, funding—worth $100 million a year—and training of terror groups around the region is no secret”, and is openly declared by Hamas’ leadership.
The Foreign Secretary and Minister for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad, today met the families of those murdered and held hostage in Gaza. Mr Cleverly asserted: “We cannot lose sight of the evil that has caused suffering for so many – Hamas”, adding that “the UK stands with you [Israel and families] – now and always”.
On X – formally Twitter – the Foreign Secretary made clear that “Hamas has never supported the two-state solution. Hamas is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching those who need it most. Hamas is no friend to the Palestinian people.”
Speaking at the United Nations in New York, Minister for Security Tom Tugendhat, emphasised Israel’s “right to defend itself” after the capture of “around 200 of her citizens” and the indiscriminate violence and rocket attacks which “are still raining down” across the nation. “We know that Hamas are using innocent Palestinian children, civilians and others as human shields”, the Minister said – identifying Hamas’ “paymasters in Tehran” and criticising attacks by Hezbollah “terrorists”.
In a separate debate in the House of Commons, Jill Mortimer MP called on the Government to revoke asylum and student status of individuals found to have been “breaking our [UK] laws” by “inciting racial hatred and violence” after recalling “the most appalling scenes of lawbreaking on the streets of our capital” over the weekend. Yesterday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made clear that “glorifying terrorism” will face “the full force of the law”. You can view and share Prime Minister Sunak’s statement here.
Minister for Immigration, Robert Jenrick, said that “people who spread hate and division in our country have no right to be here”. Mr Jenrick highlighted that a visa is a “privilege not an entitlement” and will be revoked – with individuals facing expulsion. The process has already begun in a “small number” of cases after the Home Office wrote letters to constables asking for cases to be flagged to the Department, across England and Wales.
This morning, CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Lords) Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles spoke to LBC News about the Israel-Hamas war and protests in the UK.
Lord Pickles, former Communities Secretary and current Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues, criticised the police for being “compliant” after footage of protestors emerged chanting for “jihad” and waving flags reminiscent of ISIS. “The police have lost the plot” he remarked, voicing fears that “impressionable” people could turn to violence if law and order is not enforced. Emphasising the importance of deterrence, Lord Pickles explained that “if you feel people’s collar early on it will discourage them”.
U.N. Secretary General defends Hamas
The U.N. Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, caused controversy today and received strong criticism in Israel after he appeared to defend Hamas massacres on October 7th – outlining that the “Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum”. The comments prompted Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to cancel a meeting with the U.N. Secretary General and senior Israeli officials have called for his resignation.
Benny Gantz, Minister Without Portfolio in Israel’s emergency war cabinet, said: “Dark are the days when the United Nations Secretary General condones terror”. He continued by inferring that the Secretary General had joined the ranks of “terror apologists” which “cannot speak on behalf of the world”.
Mr Guterres claimed that Palestinians in Gaza were experiencing “collective punishment” and said that the population had been “subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation”, “devoured by settlements”, “plagued by violence”, economically “stifled”, “displaced” with their homes “demolished”.
The Israeli envoy to the U.N., Gilad Erdan – called the comments “totally detached from the reality of our region” and that the remarks “constitute a justification for terrorism and murder”. Later on, Israel’s Foreign Secretary Eli Cohen addressed the Secretary General during his presentation to the U.N. Security Council. The presentation displayed recordings of Hamas terrorists bragging to their parents – “proud” of “the blood of 10” innocent Jewish victims that he had murdered.
Brits killed and taken hostage
12 Britons have now been confirmed killed as new information on the number of U.K. nationals killed and taken hostage by Hamas has emerged. Sky reported that the Government fears six British citizens are believed to be held captive by Hamas.
British-Israeli Yosef Guedalia, 22, was today confirmed as being killed by Hamas on October 7th. Guedalia was part of an IDF anti-terror unit which confronted gunmen at Kfar Aza, the Kibbutz which saw some of the worst massacres at just under a mile from the Israeli-Gaza barrier. Asher Guedalia, Yosef’s brother, said that “he went in to rescue as many citizens as possible”.
Military developments
Hamas today launched what is believed to have been the largest single barrage of rockets since October 7th, injuring a number of Israelis across central Israel. Rocket sirens blared across over a dozen cities but most rockets seem to have been aimed at Tel Aviv. The Jerusalem Post reported that five Israelis were injured in separate incidents.
A number of Gazan Hamas terrorists attempted to infiltrate into Israel this evening via the Mediterranean Sea – they were killed by Israeli Naval forces. An Israeli fighter jet was despatched to destroy the compound from which the terrorists emerged. Reports have put those Hamas terrorists killed at around four-eight individuals.
The IDF reported that military drones have successfully destroyed squads preparing to carry out missile rocket attacks on army posts and Israeli towns along the northern border with Lebanon. Hezbollah weapons were “destroyed” as multiple cells in Lebanon had their plans foiled on Tuesday. The IDF also shelled the area with artillery, operationalised a combat helicopter and continued to evacuate 42 border communities – together with the city of Kiryat Shmona. Over 30 terror cells have been reported as destroyed in southern Lebanon in recent days. The counterattacks come as the IDF announced that Shtula and Manara on the border came under fire from Hezbollah rockets. The Iran-backed terror group has sent gunmen, launched drones and fired dozens of anti-tank guided missiles over Israel’s northern border.
At least six Israeli soldiers, 34 Hezbollah gunmen, six Palestinian gunmen and one Israeli civilian and multiple Lebanese civilians and journalists have been reportedly killed in the ongoing violence.
Also reported were two rockets fired from Syria at northern Israel, setting off alarms at three Golan Heights communities and landing in open areas. The IDF responded with artillery fire to the launch site.
Senior U.S. officers have been sent to Israel, including Lt. Gen. James Glynn, a Marine three-star general who led the campaign against ISIS in Iraq – to advise on IDF ground operation strategy. “We have asked several officials with relevant experience simply to help Israeli officials think through the difficult questions ahead”, said a Pentagon spokesperson – adding that the IDF will “as always, make its own decisions”.
Hamas storing fuel in Gaza
The IDF published aerial photos of Hamas-controlled oil tanks in Gaza, which are reportedly being withheld from hospitals as a means to apply international pressure on Israel – at the expense of the lives of Palestinian people. Hamas used an apparent power-outage at northern Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital to claim Israel is conducting a “crime against humanity”. However, the twelve industrial-sized oil tanks pictured by the IDF would keep all Gaza’s hospitals open for days.
The revelations came as the IDF posted the evidence on it’s Arabic-X channel – formally Twitter – with the caption: “Hamas-ISIS steals this fuel from civilians and transfers it to its tunnels, rocket launchers, and leaders. This is what Hamas’s list of priorities looks like.”
Freed Hamas hostages recall “living hell”
Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, released on Monday – described her captivity as a “living hell”. “I was taken, with my legs on one side and my head on the other”. The terrorists beat Ms Lifshitz with sticks “hurting me badly”, “making it hard for me to breathe” and “flew through the fields” before forcing the wheelchair-bound woman through a “spiderweb” of tunnels which were “damp all the time”. The terrorists also reportedly stole her watch and jewellery.
“Our hearts are with the over 200 hostages still there. Our heart is with my dad and all the captives that are still there”, Ms Lifshitz’s daughter, Sharone Luton, said.
During this difficult time please consider donating to Magen David Adom’s urgent appeal https://mdauk.org/
Please also email your MP to share your support with Israel. You can do this via We Believe in Israel: https://tinyurl.com/mr2rcbej
