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.
What you need to know today:
• The IDF has published special footage from their operation in Rantisi Hospital; Troops found underground headquarters, a room full of weapons, and indications of hostages being held there.
• IDF troops uncovered signs that a hostage gave birth whilst being held captive in the Gaza Strip. The mother’s and baby’s well-being have not been verified as the Red Cross have not had contact with the hostages taken from Israel.
• 10,000+ rockets have now been fired from Gaza into Israel since 7th October; three people seriously injured in Tel Aviv rocket attack today.
• Doctors at Al Shifa are preparing to transfer 37 premature babies to a hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip with assistance from the IDF.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: Israel was “founded to ensure that what happened in the Holocaust could never happen again. Hamas poses a fundamental challenge to that idea”
Israel was “founded to ensure that what happened in the Holocaust could never happen again. Hamas poses a fundamental challenge to that idea”, said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Speaking at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet, the Prime Minister noted that “Hamas have stated clearly: “We will repeat the October 7 attack time and time again until Israel is annihilated””.
Remembering the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, “and as we see hatred rising”, the Prime Minister said that “we all have a responsibility to meet the promise of the words that in recent days have lit up the Brandenburg Gate: “Never again is now””. He declared that “Israel must be able to defend itself against terror, restore its security and bring the hostages home”.
“In Israel, I met the families of British victims. I sat with them, held their hands, and saw the profound pain in their eyes. I heard the existential fear that Israelis are feeling”.
The motivation behind Hamas’ attack on Israel “wasn’t just hatred, it was also their fear that a new Middle East was being born”, said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He noted that Hamas was fearful of a future “that would see Israel normalising relations with its neighbours, and which gave hope for a better, more secure, more prosperous way forward”.
Defence Minister Grant Shapps speaks to CFI
The events of 7th October are “heart-breaking to retell and relive but they must be told”, professed Defence Secretary Grant Shapps at a CFI dinner. “These stories, that woke the world up to the evil of Hamas, must never be forgotten”, he said.
Hamas “started this catastrophe”, their “founding charter has called for the extermination of every single Jew on earth”, they “force families in Gaza to act as human shields”, and they have “created a real threat to the stability of the Middle East as a whole”, the Defence Secretary listed.
“We must be clear – Hamas has no future in Gaza”, he declared. “No Palestinian or Israeli will ever be able to sleep safely if they do”.
“Those arguing that Israel don’t have the right to defend themselves against Hamas are simply wrong; not just wrong but morally wrong”.
The Defence Secretary praised Israel’s extraordinary measures to protect civilians, “lessening their objectives” of reaching terrorists as their warnings are also heeded by Hamas.
He also noted that “anti-Jewish hatred is appalling to see; not just the threats but the impacts it’s had on the Jewish community in Britain”.
UK and U.S. Sanction Hamas Leadership
The United Kingdom and United States of America today announced that they have imposed targeted sanctions on Hamas leadership.
The sanctions include travel bans, asset freezes and arms embargoes. The sanctions specifically target four members of Hamas’ leadership and two financiers including Yahya Sinwar – Hamas’ political leader in Gaza involved in planning the deadly massacre on Israel last month, and Muhammed Deif – commander of Hamas’ military wing. Others named are; Marwan Issa – deputy commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Musa Dudin – Hamas official based in the West Bank who procures weaponry for the terrorist organisation, Abdelbasit Hamza – Hamas financier based in Sudan who owned a network of companies that laundered money and traded in currency in order to finance Hamas, and Nabil Chouman – channelled funds to Hamas through his Lebanon-based currency exchange.
On the announcement, Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt the abhorrent activity of this terrorist organisation, working with the United States and our other allies, making it harder for them to operate and isolating them on the world stage”.
He emphasised that “the Palestinian people are victims of Hamas too”.
“The announcement also reiterated that “the UK and the US stand united in their solidarity with Israel in its fight against Hamas”.
Foreign Office Statement in the House of Commons
“We should be under no illusions. Hamas have chosen to embed themselves within the civilian population, and their willingness to sacrifice innocent Palestinians in this way only brings home their inhumanity”, said Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell MP in a statement to the House of Commons today.
“The Israel Defence Forces use their power to defend their citizens; Hamas use their citizens to defend Hamas”, The Foreign Office Minister declared.
“We must avoid measures that serve only to benefit Hamas and allow them to entrench their position” including a ceasefire.
“Events on 7 October and Hamas’s subsequent statements have made it clear that they are a terrorist group who pose an existential threat to the very idea of an Israeli state”, added Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell MP. He reiterated that “Israel has a right to defend itself against this terrorist threat, to restore its security and to bring the hostages home”.
“It is part of Israel’s legitimate position that it can exercise its right to self-defence and go after the dreadful terrorists who perpetrated that awful act”, Mitchell stated.
CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Commons) Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP stated that “every right thinking person wants to see an end to fighting and a durable peace for Palestinians and Israelis, but Hamas have made absolutely clear that there will be no such peace so long as the state of Israel continues to exist”. The MP also highlighted “the footage circulating of Hamas fighters using those hospitals as bases for operations, putting civilians’ lives at risk”.
Former Attorney General, Rt Hon Sir Michael Ellis MP, also drew attention to hospitals being used as terror bases, stating “that there is now video evidence of suicide vests, rocket-propelled grenades, motorcycles used to kidnap Israelis to Gaza, nappies, and chairs with rope to hold hostages being found in the basement of the Al-Rantisi Hospital in Gaza”. “The hospital was obviously used by Hamas as a command centre and is believed to have held Israeli hostages”, he noted. “Using hospitals in this way as places to imprison hostages and keep weapons is an outrageous breach of international law”, he declared.
Conservative MP for Buckingham, Greg Smith MP, noted that “in addition to the evidence that we have already heard of Hamas stockpiling weapons and the apparatus of terror in hospitals, including children’s hospitals, the Israeli authorities have also identified the misappropriation of aid, such as oxygen concentrators—meant to aerate the tunnels operated by Hamas—being hidden in aid trucks”. He asks: “Is that not all evidence that no matter how much our human instincts want to see an end to bloodshed and the loss of life, a ceasefire would only embolden the terrorists, embolden Hamas, and the only way to get peace in the Middle East is for the total destruction of Hamas?”
Conservative MP for Isle of Wight, Bob Seely, asked “what can Israel do when those hospitals are being used to store ammunition and hold hostages, when there are military HQs and operational Hamas commands underneath those hospitals, and when Hamas are deliberately denying those hospitals fuel, because they would rather broadcast pictures of very tiny babies dying than try to save them?”
Chair of the Abraham Accords Group, Dr Liam Fox MP underscored that “following the unprovoked slaughter of its citizens, Israel has a right to pursue and destroy the terrorist forces”. “It’s terrible that the ordinary citizens of Gaza are paying the price for this as Hamas would have known. But even if Israel are able to degrade and destroy Hamas forces, The Hamas mindset will remain, a Hamas mindset that is funded and supported by Iran”, he added. Calling for IRGC proscription, the former Defence Secretary stated that “Iran does not want there to be peace between Arab states and Israel because the Iranian regime do not want Israel to exist”.
Discussing his recent visit to Israel, Dr Matthew Offord MP described how he saw “evidence of humanitarian protection by the IDF forces. I also saw videos and photographs of the things that happened in some of the kibbutzim, and they were, quite simply, crimes against humanity”. He stated that there “is no moral equivalence between Hamas and the sovereign independent state of Israel” which Mr Mitchell agreed with. The Foreign Office Minister in response also noted “that it would be helpful if all those calling for Israel to protect hospitals would also call on Hamas to vacate the hospitals and stop using civilians as human shields”.
Conservative MP for The Wrekin highlighted that “the director of the FBI has said that Hamas pose the greatest security risk to the United States and the west since ISIS a decade ago”. Mitchell agreed stating that “the threat of Hamas…is undoubtedly true”.
Foreign national has visa revoked after expressing support for Hamas
An extremist, Hamas-sympathiser has had his visa revoked after reportedly expressing support for the terror organisation.
The man, who cannot be named, has already left Britain.
“There will be zero tolerance for visitors to the UK who abuse the privilege of a visa and endorse evil terrorist acts”, said Home Office Minister Robert Jenrick in an online statement. “To any individual considering following suit in the coming days: be in no doubt that we will continue to revoke visas wherever required”, he added.
At the beginning of the war, Jenrick wrote to police chiefs warning that “those that abuse that privilege by causing harm to the UK, our citizens or values forfeit the benefits conferred to them”. “The opportunities that a UK visa affords an individual is a special privilege, not an automatic entitlement”, he stated.
Hospitals in Gaza
The IDF has published special footage from their operation in Rantisi Hospital, Gaza. IDF troops found underground headquarters as well as a room full of weapons in the basement of the hospital. Explosive belts, grenades, weapons and RPG missiles were stored in the room, lining its shelves. A motorcycle with bullet holes, used by Hamas on 7th October to carry out their deadly massacre was also uncovered.
There were also indications that hostages taken from Israel were held on the basement floor. A cable tie was found on the floor – used to tie up a victim, and a babies milk bottle was found on top of a box with WHO branding on it. The area also included makeshift facilities presumably for hostage detention including toilets. A knife covered in blood was found in the basement of the hospital, which will be tested by Israel for DNA.
An operational tunnel shaft was discovered, connecting the hospital to the residential area of a senior Hamas naval commander.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that “The Hamas terrorists returned from the October 7 attack after slaughtering Israelis and burning babies and women alive and came back to hide out under Rantisi Hospital and other hospitals around the Strip”. “This is a war crime, this is a crime against humanity”, he declared.
Yesterday, there was also an exchange of fire between the IDF’S 188th Brigade and Hamas terrorists who embedded themselves within the Al-Quds Hospital. RPG and small arms fire from the entrance of the hospital, was directed at IDF soldiers outside the hospital. Approximately 21 terrorists were killed in response, whilst others re-entered the hospital to hide.
On Sunday, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that “Hamas is operating in a way that is outside the bounds of any civilised concept of how you would think about using a hospital, using human shields”.
Today, as per the request of the Director at Al Shifa Hospital, the IDF transferred incubators and additional medical supplies to the hospital compound. Doctors at Al Shifa are preparing to transfer 37 premature babies to a hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip with assistance from the IDF.
IDF Spokesperson, Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that “The IDF remains committed to upholding its moral and professional responsibilities to distinguish between civilians and Hamas terrorists”.
“Our war is against Hamas, not against the people in Gaza. Especially not the sick, the women, or the children… Our war is against Hamas who uses them as human shields”, he added.
Israel Updates
Hamas released a video of 19-year-old hostage Noa Marciano reading a pre-written script. The clip ended with images of Noa’s lifeless body including pictures displaying wounds to the head.
74-year-old peace activist, Vivian Silver, and 12-year-old Liel Hetzroni have also been confirmed dead after being murdered by Hamas on 7th October.
859 bodies of civilians have now been identified by Israel. The identification process is still ongoing due to the severity of the massacre.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that “our hearts are always with the hostages and their families”.
During the IDF’s ground incursion in Gaza, troops have uncovered signs that a hostage has given birth whilst being held in the Gaza Strip. The mother’s and baby’s well-being have not been verified.
This morning, a barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip were launched towards Ashkelon, with damage caused by direct impact in the area. Two males in their thirties were physically injured, and another two people were treated for anxiety. Late afternoon, rockets were launched towards central Israel including Tel Aviv seriously injuring three people from falling shrapnel.
In total, over 10,000 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel since the 7th October. 455 rocket alerts were sounded in Israel due to rockets fired from the Gaza Strip in the week 5 November – 12 November, the lowest number of alerts, since the war began. Israeli assessments indicate this is due to Hamas storing supplies to maintain a long-war, as well as due to the IDF advancing in Gaza.
46 IDF soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of Israel’s ground incursion.
Northern border
Yesterday evening, a multitude of rockets were fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon towards an army base in the Malkia area. One projectile was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system, with the rest landing in open areas. In response, the IDF struck a number of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Today, the IDF released information that two IDF soldiers were seriously injured yesterday in Hezbollah’s anti-tank missile attack in Netu’a.
This morning, air defences intercepted a “suspicious target” off the coast of Acre. No air raid siren was triggered.
Terrorists launched anti-tank missiles and mortar shells toward IDF posts in the areas of Margaliot, Arab al-Aramshe, Yiftach, Shomera, and Mattat. In response, the IDF struck the sources of the launches in Lebanon.
This afternoon, a barrage of rockets were fired towards Kiryat Shmona, damaging a house in the area.
Operation Swords of Iron
97 aid trucks entered Gaza yesterday from the Rafah crossing carrying food, water, and medical supplies.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has stated that he is working with European partners to create a “maritime humanitarian corridor” in order to transfer further aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Yesterday, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck 200 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip including terror cells, weapon production sites, military headquarters, and missile launch sites.
Overnight, Naval Forces struck a military camp used by Hamas’ naval formation to train fighters and store weaponry.
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said last night that “the IDF is advancing at every location. The Hamas organisation has lost control in Gaza: Terrorists are fleeing south, civilians are looting Hamas bases. They have no confidence in the Government”.
This evening, the IDF said its 162nd Division has completed the capture of the al-Shati camp, a main Hamas stronghold. An IDF spokesperson has said that “inside the camp there is a lot of enemy infrastructure and many forces of Hamas were concentrated there, including the al-Shati Battalion, which took a central part in the October 7 [attacks]”.
This afternoon, the IDF clashed with Hamas terrorists in the area and reported that nearly every other home in the camp was booby-trapped.
The 162nd Division is now working to clear the al-Shati area of all Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels and caches of weapons.
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
