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.
Female IDF soldier rescued from Gaza after being abducted on 7th October
Number 10 Downing Street has outlined that it is “not acceptable” for people to call for an intifada and chant “from the river to the sea” which is “deeply offensive”.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister has said that “people need to think extremely carefully about the impact of their actions following a traumatic terror event which saw more than 1,000 people killed”.
COBRA
An emergency COBRA meeting was held today “amid fears that the Israel-Gaza conflict has accelerated the threat of terrorism in Britain”.
Speaking afterwards, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said “we’ve seen now 10s of 1000s of people take to the streets following the massacre of Jewish people, the single largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust chanting for the erasure of Israel from the map. To my mind, there’s only one way to describe those marches. They are hate marches”.
“What the police have made clear is that they are concerned that there’s a large number of bad actors who are deliberately operating beneath the criminal threshold in a way which … the vast majority of British people would consider to be utterly odious”.
“We keep our laws under review, and if there is a need to change the law.. I will not hesitate to act”. “The police must take a zero tolerance approach to antisemitism”, she added.
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary expresses disgust over extremist views supporting Hamas
On Saturday, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan, wrote to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to express her “disgust and outrage at Research England’s appointment of individuals to an advisory group on equality, diversity and inclusion who, since the 7 October attack, have been sharing some extremist views on social media”.
In her letter she underscored that “Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation. It is completely unacceptable for anyone to be expressing sympathy or support for them”.
The Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary also appeared on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg stating that “Israel has a right to defend itself”. “You know, what we saw the other week was absolutely horrendous; it was a massacre on a scale that was absolutely appalling. We saw the rape of innocent women, children and babies being killed; it was atrocious, so of course they have a right to defend themselves. If that had happened to us we’d want to be protecting our people, we’d want to be trying to get our hostages back and so Israel has a right to do that. What we’ve been very clear about though is that they need to do that in a way that is in line with international human rights legislation and that they also need to make sure that they are minimising those citizens being killed”, she added.
Donelan declared that “we know that Hamas mesh themselves within the system locally; we know that they use local people as human shields. It is very difficult therefore to target Hamas without hurting innocent people, but we have urged Israel to try”.
Minister for Higher Education: “Antisemtism has gone up enormously”
Minister for Skills and Higher Education Robert Halfon, said today that Jewish university students are being targeted and “having Palestinian flags draped over their cars” and “people knocking on doors saying ‘we know where you live’”.
The Minister warned that “Antisemitism has gone up enormously even in my area of higher education. The Community Security Trust suggested it has gone up by over 400 per cent since October 7”.
He said the Government was “doing everything possible to support the Jewish community. We have been very clear with universities about what they need to do to protect Jewish students”.
Discussing the protests on the streets of Britain, Halfon said that “I really welcome that the Prime Minister has done everything possible to support those of the Jewish faith, but it is frightening when you hear those chants… when you hear cries of jihad every week in central London. It is frightening”.
He said that Hamas “are the ISIS of the region” and Israel has “the right to defend themselves and destroy the Hamas terror network”.
“If Britain had suffered a similar attack Britain would be doing everything possible”, he added.
“They have over 300 miles of tunnels underneath Gaza. They are keeping hostages. There are reports today… that Hamas won’t allow foreign citizens out of Gaza”.
“Israel has to do everything possible to ensure that Hamas is obliterated. Not just for Israel but for the wellbeing of the Palestinian people as well”, he declared.
CFI Parliamentary Chair (Commons): 7th October “an act of appalling brutal barbarity”
“There is nothing simple about the Israel Palestinian conflict, but what is straightforward, and what should be straightforward for serious political leaders, is to identify the attacks for what they were on the 7th October. It was an act of appalling brutal barbarity”, said CFI Parliamentary Chair (Commons) Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP on BBC’s Week in Westminster.
“Western leaders are standing behind Israel in its determination to see Hamas disappear from Gaza. Israel is going to do what it needs to do”, he declared.
Crabb noted that “we all want to see a cessation of hostility” but “to call for a ceasefire when it would so evidently be in the interests of the terrorists” is “not going to happen”.
He highlighted that “Israel is taking extraordinary steps; to warn Gazan civilians of reprisals that are coming, to alert them, to evacuate them. But let’s not let Hamas off the hook here — there are reports of them stealing medical supplies and fuel from UN agencies, there are reports of them hoarding and stealing supplies from other agencies as well. And with this kind of debate, the humanitarian obligations always seem to be put back to Israel, and they do have obligations here, but Hamas are in a position to do far more to help the poor civilians of Gaza than they’re doing”.
Lord Ahmad statement at UN General Assembly
On Friday, Middle East Minister Lord Ahmad addressed the United Nations General Assembly calling for an “unconditional release of the hostages”.
Lord Ahmad declared that “the United Kingdom stands with Israel in the face of Hamas’ terrorist attacks. We will always support an ally against a terrorist attack and its right to self-defence”.
The Middle East Minister underscored that “the United Kingdom, will continue to work closely with all partners in the region and beyond in these efforts, because peace must prevail, and to prevent the situation from spreading and causing wider insecurity and instability”.
He concluded with: “It was my Prime Minister who said hope and humanity must win against the scourge of aggression and terrorism. Love over hate. Light over darkness. Peace. Shalom. Salam”.
Minister for London cautions rhetoric on the streets
Minister for London, Paul Scully MP, said in an online statement that “Israel has a right to defend itself within international law; ordinary Palestinians should be able to live safe, peaceful and equitable lives rather than being endangered by Israel’s retaliation and Hamas’ use of them as human shields. Both need Hamas removed as a threat”.
“It’s a complex problem with no simple answers, but the situation is being exploited to destabilise the situation here in London and elsewhere. Our debates & protests need to be based on facts, tolerance & respect”, he added.
Ambassador Simon Walters talks to Israeli Army Radio
Britain’s Ambassador to Israel H.E. Simon Walters told Israeli Army Radio that “Hamas must not remain in control in the Gaza Strip,” adding that “Israel must adhere to the laws of war”.
Sharing concern on the protests in the UK, the Ambassador expressed that “it’s worrying that during the protests we’ve seen some antisemitic slogans and some calls for jihad. The government is responding to that — it takes the safety of Jewry in the UK very seriously”.
239 hostages have currently been identified as abducted from Israel into Gaza, and their families notified. In a statement IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said: “It’s an unfathomable number. There are foreign workers among the hostages, it takes us time to reach everyone’s families”.
The body of Alina Falhati, 16 years-old was found by IDF soldiers in Gaza. German National Shani Louk has also been confirmed dead with her family notified after the IDF found remains of her head. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that Shani’s “skull was found. That means those barbaric, sadistic animals simply chopped off her head”.
Nine year-old girl, Tamar died on Friday night following a heart attack last week when running to a bomb shelter during a rocket attack launched from the Gaza Strip towards Ashdod.
The IDF and Shin Bet Agency announced this evening that female soldier PVT Ori Megidish was rescued in an IDF ground operation last night. She was taken hostage by Hamas on 7th October. Ori is now back with her family.
This morning at least 40 rockets were launched from Gaza towards Netivot and surrounding communities, with two direct hits in Netivot. Rocket sirens have also been heard in Jerusalem and central Israel today.
Israel’s northern border
An IDF reservist was killed, and two other IDF soldiers seriously injured when a tank rolled over yesterday in northern Israel.
Today, rockets have been fired from Lebanon towards Rosh Hanikra and surrounding areas. Mortars have also been fired at IDF posts along the border.
The IDF in response struck a cell preparing to launch further mortars.
Jerusalem terror attack
A police officer is in serious condition after a stabbing attack near the Shivtei Yisrael light rail station in Jerusalem. The terrorist was shot.
Pogrom in Russia’s airport
Yesterday evening, violence erupted at Dagestan Airport, Russia, when a mob entered the airport in search of Jews who arrived by plane from Israel. Some of the mob stepped out onto the runway surrounding the aircraft.
Twenty were injured including police officers.
Operation Iron Swords
A total of 132 trucks have entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt over the past eight days, carrying medical supplies, food and water. Israel has also opened an additional water pipe-line into Gaza bringing the total water supply from Israel to 28.5 million litres of portable water per day.
The third Israeli water pipeline into Gaza has been “knocked out” by Hamas terrorists and is in need of repair. Israel provides 10% of water to Gaza, with Hamas supplying the other 90%.
Hamas continues to force civilians to act as human shields blocking their paths and preventing them from leaving Gaza. The White House’s Chief Security Adviser said that “the Egyptians are prepared to let Americans and other foreign nationals out of Gaza. The Israelis have no issue with that. But Hamas is preventing their departure and making a series of demands”.
It has since been revealed that Hamas’ headquarters in the Shifa Hospital compound is directly under the maternity ward. Having headquarters in a hospital is prohibited by International law. The 1949 Geneva Convention states that warring parties must “ensure that … medical establishments and units are, as far as possible, situated in such a manner that attacks against military objectives cannot imperil their safety”. A 1977 additional protocol says that “under no circumstances shall medical units be used in an attempt to shield military objectives from attack. Whenever possible, the Parties to the conflict shall ensure that medical units are so sited that attacks against military objectives do not imperil their safety”.
On Friday evening, additional IDF troops entered Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Friday “evening additional ground forces entered Gaza, and the second phase of the war began, the goal of which is the destruction of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities and the return of our hostages. I told the families of the abductees that everything would be done to return them. Kidnapping them is a crime against humanity”.
Benny Gantz MK said that “there is no measure we will not take to return the abductees, but we must remember that we are facing a faceless organisation that is running a psychological campaign”.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a video statement: “Three weeks have passed since the start of the war. This war has stages, and today we moved into a new phase. Our forces are currently carrying out ground operations in the Gaza Strip… which serve to achieve all the war’s objectives, dismantling Hamas, security at the borders, and uppermost efforts to return all the hostages back home. The objectives of the war require ground entry”.
Spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office and former Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Mark Regev said that Israel “want a change in reality. We don’t want to return to the 6:00am status quo on October 7”. Israel want to “cleanse Hamas” but not stay in Gaza.
Weapons entered from Egypt
It has been revealed by the IDF that weapons entered Gaza from Egypt before the deadly massacre of 7th October. Hamas terrorists reportedly transferred weaponry into Gaza via the Philadelphia axis, a tunnel that separates Egypt from the Gaza Strip running underneath the Rafah crossing.
It is feared that Hamas terrorists could use the same underground network to flee Gaza.
The tunnels known as ‘the metro’ and recently described as “a spider’s web” by a released hostage costs $3 million each to build.
Hamas leader calls for blood
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Thursday on the Mayadeen Network, Lebanon, that “I have said this before, and I say it time again: The blood of the women, children, and elderly… We are the ones who need this blood, so it awakens within us the revolutionary spirit, so it awakens within us resolve, so it awakens within us the spirit of challenge, and [pushes us] to move forward”.
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
