Note to reader: We wanted to give you a trigger warning on what you may read below. We have chosen, as with every one 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 and Gaza.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: “The scale of [Iran’s] attack and the fact that it was targeted directly at Israel are without precedent”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Iran “sought to plunge the Middle East into a new crisis” in a statement given to the House of Commons today, after the regime launched its first ever direct attack against Israel over the weekend “without precedent”.
The “reckless and dangerous escalation” revealed the Islamic Republic’s “true colours”, the Prime Minister continued, adding that “Israel has our full support”.
“Hamas, which is backed by Iran, started this war. They wanted not just to kill and murder but to destabilise the whole region. This weekend they rejected the latest hostage deal which offered the road to a ceasefire. It is Israel’s right and indeed its duty to defeat the threat from Hamas terrorists and defend its security”.
“Iran’s nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today”, the Prime Minister warned, highlighting that “the behaviour of the Iranian regime… including the actions of the IRGC, poses a significant threat to the safety and security of UK and our allies”.
CFI Parliamentary Chair (Commons) Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP called for “the release of all the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas” as the “one thing that would do more than anything to help end the conflict in Gaza”. He added that calls for an “unconditional, immediate ceasefire” reduce pressure on Hamas to “do the right thing” and release the civilian hostages.
CFI Parliamentary Vice Chair Theresa Villiers MP said that “in light of this horrific aggression from Iran” the UK must stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Israel, in which the Prime Minister responded that Israel’s security “is a non-negotiable and fundamental condition for peace in the region”.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Alicia Kearns MP called on the Government to “commit to launch a new consensus on Iran with our allies and a renewed effort… to limit the extent of the atrocities of Iran” which include “nuclear ambitions, the arming of the militia, femicide” and “transnational oppression”.
Former Education Minister Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP highlighted that the 7 October Hamas-led “massacre” was carried out in order to “torpedo” warming relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours, and that Iran’s attack thwarted by Israel’s allies and partners in the region is a “new opportunity” for the region to “rebuild relations”. former Attorney General Rt. Hon.
Noting Saudi Arabia’s “official statement” yesterday that Iran “engineered the war in Gaza” in order to destroy progress of normalisation between itself and Arab states, former Attorney General Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Ellis MP added that he was “hopeful” that Saudi Arabia and Israel will “normalise relations as soon as possible”.
Rt. Hon. Sir Liam Fox MP said that Iran believes that Israel “should not exist at all” and also noted that Iran “engineered a war in Gaza with the aim of thwarting better relations between Arab states and Israel – especially Saudi Arabia”. He called for the snapback mechanism to be invoked and asked “what can be done to stop the export of Iranian oil to Russia and other countries, which is now keeping the regime afloat?”
Rt. Hon. Sir Alec Shelbrooke MP vocalised his support of the Prime Minister’s pledge to “carry on supplying the arms that Israel needs to defend itself, which have been proven to be so vital just this weekend”.
Steve Double MP called Israel a “beacon of liberal democracy in the region”, declaring that “Israel’s security is our security”. Only the “effectiveness of Israeli defence mechanisms, supported by the UK and others”, everted a “serious loss of life”, he added.
“The first and most pressing mission for Israel so they can live in safety and security continues to be the necessity to defeat Hamas”, said Greg Smith MP, outlining that the objective will “require an operation in Rafah in which every step is taken to protect civilian life”.
Conservative MPs call for IRGC proscription after unprecedented Iranian attack on Israel
Conservative MPS called for IRGC proscription after Prime Minister Sunak’s statement today in the House of Commons.
CFI Parliamentary Officer Nicola Richards MP urged the Government to proscribe the IRGC, calling out Iran’s arms smuggling networking the Middle East into the West Bank, the fact that Tehran “equipped and funded and trained” terror proxies across the region, and that it has attacked people on British soil.
CFI Parliamentary Officer Bob Blackman CBE MP concurred, saying that Iran has effectively “declared war” on the UK’s “friend and ally”, Israel. He too called for the “proscription of the IRGC”, “removal of [Iran’s] embassy” in the UK, transfer of officials and the “harshest possible sanctions” against Iran as “fundamentals” required for an effective response.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman KC MP recalled her visit to Israel’s northern border two weeks ago and noted that “since October the 7th, Iran-backed Hezbollah has fired over 4,000 rockets into northern Israel, displacing over 150,000 Israeli civilians”. Calling for IRGC proscription, she stated “that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the world’s chief sponsor of terrorism, funding and promoting terrorist plots, radicalisation and hostage taking both in the Middle East and at home. We have proscribed Hamas and we have proscribed Hezbollah. Prime Minister, why do we not put the UK’s national security first by now proscribing the IRGC?”
“All roads lead back to Tehran when it comes to the terrible violence and the wars that take place in the Middle East”, declared Rt. Hon. Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP. Many countries “fear what Tehran is doing in their countries as well”, noting the Islamic Republic has also “executed thousands of protestors while this war is taking place”. Smith urged the Prime Minister to consider the IRGC in a way where they can no longer “ferment extremism” in the UK.
“Iran is the dangerous and destabilising player in this region”, underscored Anna Firth MP, noting the “eight year high” of Tehran’s state executions – 853 including 22 women and young women – urging the “proscription of the IRGC” behind these attacks.
Lord Cameron: Iran has suffered a “double defeat”
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron labelled Iran’s unprecedented attack against the Jewish state a “double defeat; a defeat because they failed, but a second defeat because the world can now see they are the malign influence in the region”, on LBC this morning.
He hailed “the Israelis themselves and the defences they’ve built up with the Iron Dome over the years”.
Lord Cameron told Times Radio Monday that Israel “has every right to respond as an independent, sovereign country being attacked in this way”, but urged Israel to “think with head as well as heart”. He told LBC listeners that Israel should “focus now on Hamas, and point out to the world that Hamas still holds those hostages including British nationals”.
He expressed a “a huge message of sympathy” to the people of Israel on Good Morning Britain, restating that Iran’s barrage was a near “total failure”.
G7: Condemn Iran in “strongest terms”
The leaders of the G7 – the worlds seven industrialised nations including the UK – “unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel”, after meeting in the aftermath of Iran’s attack over the weekend.
“We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security”, the group stated, emphasising their “demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks” and that the nations “stand ready to take further measures now”.
CFI Parliamentary Vice Chair Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP: BBC exposes “shocking bias” in new interview
The BBC has shown its “shocking bias” in accusing Israel of “murder[ing] tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians”, said CFI Parliamentary Vice Chair Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP.
The controversial remarks were made by presenter Nick Robinson during an interview with Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, who told the reporter that he did not agree with his comments “at all”.
Villiers has called for an “immediate investigation” into the BBC’s “anti-Israel sentiment”, telling The Sun that Israel is “defending itself from a brutal terror attack and making strenuous efforts not to harm civilians”.
Greg Smith MP called the episode an example of the BBC’s “outrageous bias”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that “impartiality, in reference to the BBC, is absolutely paramount… Israel is an ally of the UK, is the victim of a brutal terror attack and clearly has a right to defend itself”.
CFI Parliamentary Chair (Lords) Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles joins leaders in Europe warning of rising antisemitism
CFI Parliamentary Chair (Lords) and the Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles joined European leaders in issuing a new warning about the rising threat of antisemitism across schools and universities in Europe, post 7 October.
“We all value our Jewish communities and without them we would all be diminished. If we lose the battle against antisemitism, we lose our democracies”, the European leaders jointly declared.
In a joint opinion piece in the Jewish News, RT Hon The Lord Pickles, Aurore Bergé – the French Minister for Equality, and Felix Klein – Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism, recognised the impact of 7 October on incidents of antisemitism, recognising that “antisemitic comments and hate are spread across all social media platforms. “In the United Kingdom, for the first time ever, antisemitic incidents were recorded in every single police region in the UK”, they noted.
“Antisemitism is pernicious and sends the message that some people deserve to be targeted solely because of who they are or who they are believed to be” they underscored, adding that “those who commit antisemitic acts also attack the fundamental values that underpin our diverse society, values of acceptance and respect for others”.
They warned that “if we lose the battle against antisemitism, we lose our democracies”.
Israeli air base faces “slight damage” after being struck in Iranian attack
Two air bases including the Nevatim Air Force Base were struck by at least five Iranian ballistic missiles that penetrated Israel’s airspace on 13th-14th April, according to Israeli media reports.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that a strike caused “slight damage” to the infrastructure of an air base facility including damage to a Hercules cargo plane and an unused runway. The airbase is still operational.
99% of Iran’s 300 aerial projectiles launched at the Jewish State was intercepted by the IDF, alongside the UK, U.S., France, and partners in the Middle East. The counter-operation was labelled by Israel as Operation Iron Shield.
The RAF’s involvement was the biggest air-to-air battle involving the UK since the Falklands in 1982, The Sun reported today.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi thanked Israel’s partners this afternoon “who stood up to Iran’s aggression”. “Iran’s attack has created new opportunities for cooperation in the Middle East”, he added. He also stated that “Iran will face the consequences for its actions”.
Israel’s Home Front Command lifted its restrictions this morning against the threat posed by the Iranian attack over the weekend, allowing the reopening of day camps, youth events, schools and other facilities.
Hamas rejects latest ceasefire proposal
Hamas is unable to identify and locate 40 Israeli hostages needed for the first stage of a ceasefire agreement, rejecting the latest proposal for a hostage deal this weekend.
The Iran-backed terror organisation has put forward an alternative plan calling for a definitive end to Israel’s campaign against the terror group, according to reports.
It also calls for an initial six-week phase before the release of any hostages, the complete IDF withdrawal from Gaza’s urban centres, the return of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, and the release of Palestinian security prisoners.
Hamas has seemingly harshened its demands, calling for 30 Palestinian security prisoners to be released for any one civilian hostage – ten times the amount of Palestinian security prisoners exchanged for each civilian hostage in November.
50 Palestinian security prisoners – 30 of whom are serving life sentences – would be exchanged for any single female IDF soldier held by Hamas.
The plans were allegedly proposed as a three-stage process, with male soldiers and men of military age being released in the final weeks of the proposed deal.
Saudi Arabia condemns Iran, helps to forge regional military coalition
Saudi Arabia has said that is has already helped to forge a regional military coalition of the UK, Israel, U.S., France and Jordan against Iranian threats, Israeli broadcaster Kan reported on 14 April.
“Iran is a nation that endorses terrorism, and the world should have curtailed it much earlier”, a Saudi royal told reporters.
Jordan assisted Western partners in the defending of its airspace against the Iranian attack, and Egypt declared its readiness to shoot down projectiles that violate its airspace before the barrage was launched.
Saudi Arabia’s airspace defences intercepts “any suspicious entity”, according to the Royal Family’s website. The phrase points to Riyadh’s supposed involvement in thwarting Iran’s drones’ attacks.
The Iranian attacks were part of an attempt to derail the progress of the Abraham Accords – the historic set of agreements normalising relations between Israel and three Arab nations; UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.
IDF soldiers injured in Hezbollah explosion on northern border
Four IDF soldiers have been injured in a bomb blast set off by the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah, adjacent to the Lebanon border early this morning
The IDF said that one soldier has been seriously injured as a result of the blast. All four were taken to hospital in Nahariyah.
Hezbollah took responsibility for the attack, saying that it had planted the bombs in an area across from the northern Israeli town of Adamit.
