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.
Third Shabbat with empty seats
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden stated that “we have been foursquare behind the Israeli Government in the need to defend itself against these Hamas terror attacks, recurring”, this morning on LBC.
“If it was in this country, and we’ve had over 1000 people murdered in cold blood, we’d expect robust action; and we have to appreciate Israel have to take action in order to protect itself”.
“We support the robust action of the Israeli Government to make sure that it removes [Hamas]”, he added.
The Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged that “Hamas embeds itself amongst the civilian population, exploit civilian assets, and they cannot be enabled through this kind of action”.
“The way to bring peace to this area is to actually eliminate this massive threat in Gaza and the British Government is supportive of that”, the Deputy Prime Minister declared.
October Declaration
Levelling-up and Communities Secretary Michael Gove, and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer signed the October Declaration condemning Hamas’ deadly terror attack and the rise of antisemitism in the UK.
In an online statement, Rt Hon Lucy Frazer MP said that she has “signed the October Declaration to show my support for Israel following the terrorist attacks on 7 October and my support for the Jewish community here in the UK”.
The letter, signed by over 60,000 individuals reads: “we are a group of concerned British citizens and residents from a wide range of backgrounds and professions who stand in solidarity with British Jews and condemn all forms of anti-Semitism, whether in Britain or elsewhere”.
Home Secretary meets Jewish community leaders
Yesterday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman met with Jewish communal leaders “on public order and the sickening 1300% rise in antisemitism following Hamas’s terrorist atrocities”. In an online statement the Home Secretary declared that “the Government stands foursquare in support of Israel and will do everything necessary to protect the British Jewish community”.
Lords consideration of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
Home Office Minister Lord Sharpe said yesterday: “It needs to be restated that Hamas alone is responsible for this conflict…We support Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself and take action against terrorism”. Turning to concerns over antisemitism increasing in the UK, he said: “Sadly, experience indicates that whenever Israel is attacked, legitimate Israeli defensive measures are used by some as a pretext to stir up hatred against British Jews… The Government have been clear that we will not tolerate anti-Semitism, and the Prime Minister has announced an additional £3 million for the Community Security Trust to protect schools, synagogues and other Jewish community buildings. Unfortunately, extremist exploitation of conflicts involving Israel is something with which we are all now too familiar. Escalations in extremist rhetoric, both online and offline, are likely to continue to raise tensions and fear within communities, so we must also be alive to the risk that this has the potential to radicalise and exploit those susceptible to Islamist or extreme right-wing narratives”.
Local Government Minister Lee Rowley on Question Time
On BBC’s Question Time, Local Government Minister Lee Rowley said that “Israel does absolutely have the right to defend itself.. and prevent this happening again. The UK is very clear that it will support Israel in doing that”. Responding to calls for a ceasefire, he said: “Who do you make a ceasefire with? This is a terrorist organisation which has executed babies, uploaded murders to Facebook… Hamas is an organisation that needs to be taken out of the Palestinian areas. They are putting rockets next to civilian populations. There is absolutely no way we can negotiate with them. If you want a peaceful Middle East, Hamas need to be removed”. He added: “We all want peace. We all didn’t want this to happen. Israel, just like the United Kingdom has a duty to ensure its citizens can go about their day.
Conservative MPs raise concern over BBC Coverage
Conservative MPs raised concerns of the BBC’s coverage of the Israel – Hamas War during a private meeting with its Director General Tim Davie on Tuesday, hosted by the 1922 Committee. The Sun reported that MP’s criticised BBC’s failure to directly refer to Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said he “had never been so disappointed” in the BBC – as the Jewish community turns away from the corporation.
CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Commons) Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP reportedly asked whether Mr Davie “shared a measure of responsibility” for antisemitism felt by the Jewish community the day after a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket struck a Palestinian hospital. The fact that the rocket emanated from the terror organisation was not reported until much later on.
Mr Davie reportedly refused to answer whether he though Hamas was a terrorist organisation and called the question “inappropriate”.
Following the meeting, Rt Hon Sir Simon Clarke MP signalled that Mr Davie will consider publishing the 2004 Balen Report, which explored whether the BBC’s coverage of Israel has been biased. The BBC has reportedly spent hundreds of thousands in legal fees preventing its publication.
228 families have now been told that their loved ones are being held hostage in Gaza. The figure continues to change as the IDF continue their investigation.
A barrage of rockets directly hit a residential building in Tel Aviv today. Four people were injured including a 53-year-old man and a man in his twenties. Over 8,000 rockets have been fired from Gaza since 7th October.
Egypt hit by projectile missiles
The Egyptian city of Taba, close to the Israel-Egypt border was hit by a projectile “originat[ing] from the Red Sea late on Thursday/early Friday morning. The projectile was likely launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. Six people were injured in the blast which hit a building adjacent to a hospital.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that “in the last few hours, an aerial threat was detected in the Red Sea. Fighter jets were scrambled to the threat and the issue is under investigation. To our understanding, the impact that was in Egypt originates from this threat. Israel will work together with Egypt and the US and tighten the defense against threats from the Red Sea area”.
Late Friday morning, another projectile was launched impacting the Egyptian city of Nuweiba.
Hamas headquarters in Shifa Hospital
It has been revealed that Hamas’ main headquarters are located under Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip. The hospital has 1,500 beds and around 4,000 staff members who forcably act as human shields for Hamas.
An IDF spokesperson told the press that there are several underground complexes used by Hamas to direct their activities with a tunnel leading to the hospital. Within the hospital itself, there is a Hamas internal security control center staffed by armed men, as well as headquarters where weapons and ammunition are stored and fired.
The hospital shares its energy with the terrorist infrastructure within and underneath.
Operation Swords of Iron:
Six aid trucks entered Gaza from Egypt this morning carrying medical supplies, food and water.
A localised limited ground incursion into Gaza occurred once again last night with IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stating that “it will continue all the more forcefully in the coming days”.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant reaffirmed an impending ground incursion stating that “additional stages in the war will also come, we are creating the conditions for them and we will carry them out”. “I am determined… to ensure the State of Israel is victorious over this tough and evil enemy — over this epitome of evil”, he added.
He declared that “this is a war for our home and we will win it”.
Yesterday, the IDF confirmed that it had killed three senior Hamas operatives in the Daraj-Tuffah Battalion; head of the Battalion – Rifaat Abbas, deputy commander – Ibrahim Jadba, and combat support commander Tarek Maarouf. The Daraj-Tuffah Battalion “played a significant role in the invasion and murderous attack against Israel on October 7th,” and is “considered the most significant brigade of the Hamas terrorist organisation.”
Further IAF airstrikes killed the deputy head of Hamas’s intelligence directorate, Shadi Barud, who planned Hamas’ deadly massacre on 7th October along with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and head of Hamas’s North Khan Younis rocket array, Hassan al-Abdullah.
Israel’s northern border
Hostilities continue on Israel’s northern border with Hezbollah.
Yesterday evening, the IDF carried out a drone strike against a Hezbollah cell preparing to launch an anti-tank guided missile towards an IDF post in Israel.
This afternoon, Hezbollah terrorists launched anti-tank guided missiles at an IDF post near Avivim and against the Misgav Am area on the northern border. No IDF shoulders were injured in the attack. The IDF responded with artillery shelling against the source of fire in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has so far named 46 members killed by Israel since the war began.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that Israel is “not interested in widening the war, but will deal with it if necessary”.
Eliminating Hamas is a legitimate Israeli war aim
CFI Vice-Chair Jeremy Brier KC argued in the Telegraph that “eliminating Hamas is a legitimate Israeli war aim backed by international law”.
He states that “a sovereign state has a right to self-defence as a matter of international law. In circumstances where Hamas has performed, and continues to pursue, a campaign of genocidal intent, it is unquestionable that it is a legitimate war aim of Israel to eliminate them”.
He warns that “Hamas’s continuing aim and objective is the elimination of Israel and Jews. It is not just on October 7 when Hamas decided this. It is a terrorist organisation whose own Covenant commits it to the genocide of Jews and the obliteration of Israel” and therefore the state of Israel has a right to eliminate them.
On proportionately, Briar underscored that “proportionality neither means acting leniently; or taking actions which are equivalent to the actions which they are taken against. Any notion that Israel should do back to Hamas what Hamas has done to Israelis is plainly not something any democracy could countenance. What it means is that a state can use force that fits its defensive objectives”.
“Anyone who looks at recent events and considers [a ceasefire] viable is not arguing in good faith. Even a pause would be taken by Hamas as a chance to reload and refire. The rockets do not stop coming even now”.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council have also released a statement against a ceasefire along the same lines. They have said that “you cannot both believe that Israel has a right to defend itself against atrocities like this and also call for a ceasefire while Hamas says it will do the exact same thing again, and continues to hold over 200 hostages”.
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
